The Sequel to the Story
by asc12
Summary: Sweets is recovering, Derringer is on the loose and Booth feels guilty. A spunky new character makes life easier for Sweets but an old foe returns from the dead, but how? Sequel to The Title in the Story.
1. Chapter 1

Season 9.

I do not own Bones, I know, it's a big surprise to me too.

This, as most of my stories here, are revolving around Sweets lol. I think he's a character with so much potential that is relegated to one-two scenes an episode in which he agrees with whatever Booth is saying and that's it. So trying something more! There is an original character involved, but don't worry, she's not a big character. ;)

_I should make this more clear, this is a sequel to_ The Title in the Story.

**The Sequel in the Story**

Chapter 1.

_Me, he picks me_. Booth ran the words in his head over and over as Booth walked into the Jeffersonian and up to the team. Those words were in Sweets voice, the same as he had said them four days ago.

It seemed as though all were routine after Sweets was brought in, that rest was all he needed. Then it changed two days later, the doctors were concerned the rest was too much rest and encouraged the group to engage Sweets in conversation.

On day three, they began "operation conversation" though Sweets was still physical barely vocal with only croaks and hoarse short words. That wasn't what bothered them however, it was Sweets himself- the one that in general any one of the group couldn't get to stop talking had no desire to communicate.

When he was finally engaged enough to nod his head in a visit with Hodgins, the bug man noticed Sweets inability to focus. When he did attempt to talk he asked Hodgins how his wife, Cam was doing. It earned Sweets an immediate visit for several brain scans and a few more days observation.

This caused Sweets to be more irritable and draw inward more. If anyone had learned anything about Sweets was that he would talk about anyone else about their problems, but never his own.

He refused to eat much which the doctor suspected was from a combination of blood loss, the confusion he was facing and the intense desire to leave the hospital. The lack of food was a catch 22 leaving him too weak to leave and too irritable to focus. He was becoming less receptive to visitors who looked at him with concern, something that irritated him even more.

The group collectively worried that the bright and optimistic Sweets was becoming increasingly bitter and irrational.

_Me, he picks me_. Booth heard again snapping him from his recap of the last few days.

"Maybe he does just need to go home." Booth blurted out causing everyone to turn towards him.

The Jeffersonian staff looked at him like an octopus was waving all of its tentacles at them from behind Booth.

"Seeley, we're not for sure on his tests yet." Cam said as though it was ludicrous.

"Well it's one of the few things he'll actually say." Booth said in his defense. Since having mistaken Angela for Cam Sweets had all but stopped talking. Apparently afraid of what he might say that would earn him a longer stay.

"She's right, I know he doesn't want to stay, and yes I do understand the comfort of home is better, but he needs to be cleared." Hodgins said backing up Cam.

Booth sighed as he wasn't going to win this round. Angela saw Booth's expression and knew that she felt the same so she voiced it herself.

"I think we feel the same, I want to help Sweets, but I don't know how."

Booth nodded but Angela realized there was something more weighing on Booth and she wondered what it was.

"I feel like he is pushing us away." Brennan said having been quiet quite a lot since Sweets had been in the hospital.

"Is there something we are missing?" Cam asked confused at what was going on. Booth cleared his throat.

"You know, I have to get back to the bureau. There's a new secretary coming in, they're hiring her to help Sweets out, for now and when he comes back." Booth said stepping back. "I'll call if I hear any news from the doctor."

Booth left and they slowly went back to the case they had been working on. Brennan watched Booth go and worried. She knew the ultimatum had still bothered him but he refused to talk about it. The one person he would normally talk about something like that with was Sweets, but since it involved Sweets, Booth had no one to take it to. He had also become the appointed contact person for the doctor since Booth was constantly at the hospital and one of the few people Sweets wasn't able to easily shoo away. Booth was glad he was more stubborn than the kid was. Brennan worried this would take too great of a toll on Booth. She wondered what to do but realized the one person she too would turn to for advice was also, Sweets.


	2. Chapter 2, Meeting Emma

ASC: Thanks for the great reviews, it's so encouraging to write more!

Chapter 2.

_Wow, this is a lot of email_. Annie was enduring her second day at the bureau, the first one spent mostly signing her name enough times to have perfected it and then lost all perfection as the fatigue took over and it increasingly became illegible.

She was now a fully secure employee. She was taking on access to Dr. Sweets patients and cases in his absence, thus she had to sign her life away for it. She didn't mind, she had no intention of doing anything illegal with it. Not only did she need this job, but she did want to be convicted of the 14 pages of crimes that she would be held accountable for it if she did.

Now she had a small desk placed outside a new office assigned to Dr. Sweets to accommodate her presence. She had been quickly briefed on Dr. Sweets. She was delighted at first to work with someone her own age. The last job she held was for someone in his near sixties and who didn't understand anything about technology. She spent her whole day running into his office to help him get voicemail, send an email, anything and everything.

Emma was taken aback however when they listed off Sweets credentials. _Oh a smart guy a young age, must be an ass._ She had thought to herself knowing how many intelligent people can tend to be rather egotistical. She was shedding that perception quickly at the number of agents who had stopped by to inquire about Dr. Sweets with her. He seemed well liked and she thought that Doogie Howser M.D. persona may have been wrong.

She smiled at everyone and informed them she had just started and she knew little of Dr. Sweets condition. She was surprised how much she started to be concerned for the person she had never met. She knew it was based on the way people asked about him and she began to worry less what working for the boy genius might be like. That was until she started to wade thru hundreds of emails.

When the bureau found that Dr. Sweets stay was going to be longer than a day or two they began to develop a back-up plan. They had no one who was going to be able to reschedule his many patients and keep up things for him once his eventual return. Even then the doctors were concerned about the slow recovery in his hands. Deciding to not lose the talent that existed in Sweets mind, they decided the expense of an administrative assistant was well worth it. Emma was hired thru an agency and would schedule, organize and sort files for Sweets and once he returned do the same plus possibly, take and type notes if his hands did not improve, and other items assigned as needed.

At the moment however Emma was wondering where the nearest bar was, because this was going to be a late night.

* * *

Booth returned to the building in the late afternoon and first checked in with is assistant. He was to be notified immediately of any bodies or evidence came in that suggested the activity or whereabouts of Derringer. Booth found it unlikely, based on the escalation Sweets was suggesting in Derringer that he had stopped. Booth was also unsure if Derringer knew Sweets had survived.

_Did he survive_ Booth asked himself. _Will be the same Sweets?_ Irritated with the possibility that he might, not Booth decided to check in with the new secretary.

* * *

"Um Hello?" Booth asked the young brunette sitting at the desk. She was small and petite with hair that looked curly that morning. Her cardigan was on the chair behind her a Booth could see her scuttle as she looked up to put her heels back on. She looked tired but she put on a smile to try and hide it.

"Hello." Emma said back to him. "Can I help you?"

Booth had to smile at the fact she was trying to smile and be helpful despite the fact it was almost seven and she'd obviously been working hard.

"Hi, are you uh Sweets new…" Booth searched for the politically correct current title for secretary.

"Yes, I'm Emma Gardner." She said standing up and shaking Booth's hand but tipped in her heel that wasn't on all the way. "Sorry, I'm usually a little more put together." She said trying to get her shoe on casually.

"No worries." Booth said with a small smile thinking her and Sweets were going to work well together, always apologizing for unnecessary things. "I just wanted to say hello and all. I'm agent Booth. I work with Sweets quite a bit." He said and again called to question in what exactly his relationship with Sweets was, just a coworker, friend, close friend?

"It's nice to Meet you Agent Booth." Emma said again with a sweet girl next door smile. "I'll be interested in working with Dr. Sweets. I feel like I know him having gone thru all this, but not really, that doesn't make sense." She added as though chastising herself. Booth looked down at the piles of folders stacked around her desk and felt bad for her.

"Would you like to meet Sweets?" Booth asked though he wasn't sure why he did after he said it. It just popped out of his mouth before he knew he had. He knew he was thinking that she probably needed to get away from the work for a while and it just, came out.

"Uh, sure." Emma answered, filled with the same thoughts, she wasn't sure why she said yes, it seemed weird but an excuse to get out of the office sounded good. She couldn't lie in the fact she was very curious to put a persona with the name she had been reading so much about.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3.

Booth suggested they take his car which Emma didn't argue with since she didn't have one. She was happy not to mention that fact. If she did she was just going to say that she preferred to ride the subway because it was ecofriendly. _Yep, that's what it is._ She said sarcastically to herself.

"Crap, I almost forgot, I have to stop at the store. I'm supposed to have picked up some stuff for Bones. That's my wife." Booth said changing lanes when something occurred to him. "Her name isn't really Bones, it's Brennan, well, it's Dr. Temperance Brennan. She's uh…"

"An anthropologist at the Jeffersonian."

"Oh, you know?" Booth asked surprised.

"I was briefed on where Dr. Sweets spends most of his time and the work with the Jeffersonian, as well as having access to his notes and records."

"Oh, what's in those?" Booth asked defensive what Sweets may have written about him.

"That's all classified Agent Booth, if I told you I would lose my job, and I _need _this job."

"Of course, sorry. I didn't mean…"

"There's nothing to worry about agent Booth." Booth realized she wasn't replying in regards to the apology and he smiled at her tact.

They arrived at the store and Booth began to get out.

"I'll be right back." He said.

"I'll go, I'd like to get something as well." Emma said remembering she had worked thru lunch but past dinner was going to be too much.

Booth left in the direction of baby supplies and Emma found a prepackaged sandwich. She was still waiting so she went by the cards and picked out a humorous get well card. While still waiting she went by the magazines and found a selection of puzzles. She found a couple books that she found amusing and took them to the check out and soon located agent Booth who was ready to go.

* * *

Emma noticed when they got nearer to Dr. Sweets hospital room that agent Booth had gotten considerably more quiet and tense.

When they arrived at Sweets room he was asleep. Booth seemed irritated that he had missed something.

"I'll be back in a minute." Booth said and left looking for someone. Emma stood awkwardly in the room by herself with the man she hadn't met. Curiosity drew her closer to the bed and she took a look at Dr. Sweets.

She grinned at the fact he really was as young and as boyish looking as she had heard. Her grin faded however at the sadness that came from him. Though he was asleep he emanated a sort of desolation that made her sad. He still looked tired and thinner than she thought a person should be.

She took the two puzzle books out of her purse, the advanced puzzles and the Star Wars genius puzzle book and sat them on the table. She looked at the card but felt strange leaving a card for someone she didn't really know. She still thought the card was funny, a witty card she thought so she left it unsigned with the books. She was walking away when Booth came in.

"Oh, sorry to leave you, I wanted to find the doctor, I had expected him to call me earlier and he didn't."

"Is everything okay?" Emma asked trying to read Booth's expression.

"I think so. I don't always understand all of the doctor lingo. They uh, ran some tests." Booth paused as he wondered if he should be sharing this but she knew just about everything about everyone at this point so he figured why not. "His scans all came back clear." Booth said with a smile but he still looked worried as he added, "he just needs to start getting better."

He looked back at Sweets who was still sleeping but not in a restful sleep. It was a rigid and sort of tense sleep that made Booth breathe heavily. He snapped out of it remembering that Emma was with him.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to meet him tonight. He uh…"

"I'm glad I came." She said interrupting him to put him at ease. "I'll be happy to meet him again soon."

* * *

Booth dropped Emma back at the bureau and despite her objections of taking her to her car she insisted she had left something inside. The protector that lived inside Booth didn't like anyone walking to their cars late at night but was pacified when she assured him she would ask a guard to escort her.

* * *

The next day everyone was still on a veritable high that Sweets tests had come back normal. Booth awaited news when Sweets could leave the hospital. Sweets told the doctors he promised to eat more if he could go home. The team agreed that without the threat of brain injuries Sweets would be better to leave. The doctors felt secure in the assessment that the poor nutrition and blood loss combined with the lack of sleep and good diet before the incident had caused the lack of lucidity.

The team continued about their day more relaxed that the news was good and was going to improve, despite their concerns about Sweets attitude.

Booth didn't know if anyone had told Emma the news. It would somewhat impact her work and the possible date of Sweets return but he got a feeling she was the type of person who was genuinely concerned about the people around her.

When he arrived at her desk she was absent. He came around from the front to leave her a note on a pad she had there when his attention was brought to an email on the screen.

_"I regretfully inform you of my decision to sever this affiliation. The partnership was not the as amicable as I had…"_

The words stopped there and Booth felt angry that she was leaving this job after only a couple of days. He heard footsteps returning down the hall and he abandoned the notepad and disregarded the email. He figured the news wasn't important to share anymore.

"Agent Booth?" Emma asked before he could be out of sight.

"Oh, hello Emma." He said as though he were surprised. "I was just stopping by, but I, uh have to go." He said obviously tripping over his words. Emma noticed he didn't look at her and that he was acting completely different from the night before.

"Agent Booth." She said stopping him. "I might be over stepping here, but is something wrong? I mean I'm not a profiler or psychologist like…" She motioned with her big blue eyes to Sweets office. "But it seems like…"

"No, it's nothing." Booth said still not looking at her while she walked to her desk. He was walking away slowly when she called to him again.

"Agent Booth, is it this email?" Emma didn't want to talk about it but she hated when people were unhappy about something.

"Look it's none of my business, I didn't mean to read it." Booth said somewhat irritated. "I was leaving you a note and I just, I thought you and Sweets would have worked well, and he would have relaxed a little knowing he had some help…"

"This email isn't about this job Agent Booth." She sighed and her happy nature seemed to fade for a moment. "I know it reads strangely, but it was on the advice of my lawyer, my divorce lawyer."

Slowly Booth nodded in understanding.

"I **really** don't want to talk about it." She said and looked at him with eyes pleading to drop it.

"I'm glad you're staying." He added. "Sweets can really use the help."


	4. Chapter 4

ASC: I don't know if I like "new" characters but I'd like to see Sweets a) for once have a real story line instead of just standing around and agreeing with Booth and b) find someone who isn't annoying. So we'll see how this work out. Who knows. I don't even know!

* * *

Chapter 4.

"Good news Moody." Booth said walking into Sweets. Sweets gave him his usual new look of disdain and threw the book he had on the table with a pen.

"Moody? Really?" Sweets asked. Booth was growing used to his sarcasm but at least his was back to talking despite the low and gravelly tone it now had.

"Well if you're not going to be Sweets, I'll call you Moody."

Sweets rolled his eyes and fidgeted in bed. Booth picked up the book Sweets had thrown down and flipped thru the pages.

"You finished the puzzle book?" He asked surprised.

"Yeah, I'm kinda bored!" Sweets said in his now usual mood. "I should say thanks for the book."

Booth noticed it wasn't actually a thank you. "I didn't get it for you." Booth added.

"Oh." Sweets said surprised. "Where did it come from?" This curbed his mood as curiousity took on.

"I don't know." Booth said putting it the advanced book back next to the genius puzzles. Booth didn't recognize most of the words in the crosswords and was reminded how smart Sweets was, despite his new constant foul mood.

"That reminds me." Booth said trying to get Sweets attention who was busy fussing with the sheets. The tension that emanated off Sweets was intense, he was becoming a caged animal despite the fact he still wasn't recovering all that well, perplexing the doctors despite the number of tests they ran on him.

"What reminds you of what?" Sweets asked giving up on finding a comfortable position.

"Your foul mood reminds me, you're getting to leave here."

Sweets immediately stopped what he was doing and stared at Booth for what seemed like forever.

"Sweets?" Booth asked. "Did you hear me?"

"Yeah." Sweets said in what could have been a shadow of a smile but the grumpy clouds still lingered. Sweets looked like he was getting ready to stand up and leave.

"Whoa, not this second." Booth said pausing further motion. "The doctor just told me like a second ago. He's getting papers ready but we've got to make some plans."

"Yeah, I get dressed and go home. Plans are done."

"Well speedy, we've got to work out a few things I'm not so sure you're ready to go home by yourself. I was thinking…"

"Agent Booth, I appreciate your concern," the tone of Sweets voice did not so much emanate 'appreciate' in a way that meant 'appreciate'. "But I'm a grown adult, I want to go home, alone." Sweets looked at Booth that suggested this was going to be a no argument situation. Booth hadn't noticed such a look of resolve on Sweets before. "If they hand me my discharge papers there's nothing you can say about it." Sweets adding and Booth was gritting his teeth in regards to what a pain Sweets was becoming. If it hadn't been so unlike him he might have walked out of the room.

_Me, he picks me_ rang out to Booth again. Booth looked away for a moment thinking of how close to death Sweets had been.

"Okay, but let us help you get there." Booth said and Sweets sighed relenting some. "Unless you want to go home in that top." Booth said before leaving the room.

* * *

"What do you think his problem is?" Hodgins asked Booth as they headed back to the hospital in Booth's SUV.

"I don't know." Booth said exasperated. "It was bad, I get that, but…"

"Well whatever it is it's been going on a while." Hodgins said.

"Yeah, we're going to have a talk to him about this." Booth said putting Sweets keys down in the console.

* * *

Booth & Hodgins walked in Sweets room to see the flowers Cam and Angela had brought boxed up along with the books and cards that had been sent to him. Booth was surprised Sweets kept the finished puzzle books. He figured they would have been trash.

"Good, papers are all signed, I can go." Sweets said ready to get out of bed, albeit slowly.

"Hold up there a second." Booth said as Hodgins set a plastic store bag on the bed. Sweets peered in to see some casual pants and tee shirt, socks and tennis shoes inside.

"Yeah, we had to go to the store because when we went to your place we found out you don't live there anymore." Hodgins said.

"You went to my place?" Sweets said and Booth held out the keys and set them on the table.

"Yeah, you want to tell us when you moved?" Booth asked incredulously.

"Six months ago." Sweets said pulling the socks out of the bag and sorely put them on. "How much do I owe you for the clothes Hodgins?" Sweets asked.

"Dude, that's not really the concern, I'm kind of curious why you moved and didn't mention it. I mean, didn't you need some help moving?"

"No." Sweets said pulling the pants out of the bed but realized he didn't want to get any more dressed with an audience. He decided if he answered their line of questioning maybe they'd leave and let him get dressed.

"My roommates were done with the lease, one was getting married, the other took a job in Maryland. I didn't want to find two new roommates so I found a one bedroom apartment. It was furnished so I moved in. What's the big deal?"

Hodgins and Booth looked at each other in defeat.

"Where's the new place at?" Booth asked rolling his eyes.

"Why, I can just get a…" Sweets began but Hodgins interrupted.

"Angela, Brennan and Cam were going to do a welcome home dinner." Hodgins said irritated with Sweets. He didn't want to spill the secret but Hodgins, like Booth found it irritating when it came to a conversation with Sweets.

"Look, it's not necessary. I'll be fine." Sweets said trying to lace up the new shoes but his hands still lacked positive reflexes making the small motor skill task difficult. Hodgins took the shoes away from Sweets angry.

"I can tie my own damn shoes!" Sweets shouted leaning forward and grabbing for them. The lunge forward brought him off the bed and the quick movement was faster than his regular practice had allowed. Sweets stumbled and fell into the wall.

The impact was his left arm and side into the wall which was an intense pain against the stitches from his cuts and the broken ribs. Sweets sat on the floor looking up at Hodgins and Booth standing over him with worried faces.

Sweets was trying to figure out how he was going to continue his argument about his shoes now.

Booth said nothing but extended a hand out to Sweets to help him up. Sweets knew he wasn't going to get off the floor without some help and after a moment reluctantly put his hand up to accept the help. Booth kept a close eye on helping Sweets up as he leaned against the bed. Booth was wide eyed with concern but said nothing. Sweets looked tired from this small amount of activity, something that did not get past he and Hodgins. Booth thought about it a moment before speaking.

"Hodgins and I are going to go outside, let us know when you are ready." Booth said and he and Hodgins went to the hall and closed the door behind him.

Once they were out in the hall Hodgins looked at Booth in surprise.

"You really think, after that, he's ready to leave?"

"No, I don't but he thinks he is. But if he's going to act like a kid and not accept our help then maybe a few falls will fix it."

"Unless he ends up killing himself because he won't ask for help." Hodgins said setting the shoes down on the nurses station so he could tie them.

Booth nodded his head and went to find the doctor. He was intending to ask the doctor to check Sweets over before he left. He suggested he tell Sweets is was standard but to look for anything from his recent stumble.

The doctor was concerned with what had happened but Booth insisted he and Hodgins had drawn him into it. The doctor reluctantly agreed and moments later walked in Sweets room opening the door.

They had been gone ten minutes and had figured that Sweets had been dressed though they wondered why he had not yet come out. They saw why when the doctor opened the door. Sweets had the shirt over his head and one arm in. However, he seemed to be struggling with getting the white tee the rest of the way on. What Hodgins and Booth saw before it was on was a clear view of Sweets chest and arms, covered in bandages from Derringer's cuts. Hodgins could almost hear Booth grind his teeth down to the gums.

* * *

While Sweets was getting a few stitches replaced by the doctor Booth had gotten a call from Brennan as to where Sweets new apartment was. Sweets pretended to be too busy with the stitches to answer.

"I'll call you back." Booth told Brennan. He ended that call and began a new one. "Hi Emma, yes this is Booth. Can you pull up Dr. Sweets new address?"

Sweets eyes shot towards Booth were irritated. Booth smiled back.

"Yeah, thanks Emma."

Booth jotted down an address and Sweets decided he did _not _like this Emma.

* * *

Sweets insisted he could walk out of the hospital so Booth left to get the car. Thirty minutes later Hodgins and Sweets arrived at the door. Booth wondered what took them so long but Hodgins only rolled his eyes at the snail pace Sweets who of course refused any help. He looked ready to pass out from the exhaustive "trip."

They knew of course that Sweets wasn't 100% health wise. That didn't bother them, they supported that. What was becoming a pain was his refusal to allow anyone to help him because of it.

Once loaded up they stopped at a pharmacy to pick up the pain killer prescription that the doctor had called in. Sweets seemed less than enthused to get them but Booth had stopped listening to what Sweets wanted at this point.

They arrived at Sweets place to find their female counterparts inside Sweets apartment. He heaved a heavy sigh when he saw them all in his kitchen when he came in.

"Does everyone have keys to my place now?" Sweets asked eyeing the couch with more than desire, it was a necessity. The recent marathon of walking (marathon to him) was completely draining.

"No, we did not have the keys, however, Booth showed me how to pick a lock some time ago. He got me my own kit for Christmas." Brennan said from the kitchen. She, Angela and Cam were putting a number of items away.

"You've really lived here six months?" Hodgins asked looking around the apartment that was sparsely decorated nor did it even have much in it. The furniture was very bland, personal items were few and far between.

There was a mumble from the couch and Hodgins looked over to see Sweets sitting and half asleep with his head slumped over on the back of the couch against the cushions. His eyes were heavy and he was almost out. Booth noticed too.

"Hey! Sweets!" Booth said sitting next to him trying to wake him up. Sweets head shot up though his eyes were practically still closed. "If you're tired, how about laying down in your bedroom."

"Tired of beds. Just need a second." Sweets said trying to fight the tiredness but he was losing.

Angela came in the room and sat on the coffee table across from Sweets. Her presence caught Sweets attention as he tried to sit up and be alert, playing off the tiredness. "Sweets honey, we got some stuff for you. Brennan found a lot of tea that does a lot of, stuff." Angela said remembering the painful trip to the store in which Brennan listed off all the healing properties of the various herbal remedies. "We also got some meals you can pop in the microwave or stuff easily. Have you ever even bought groceries since you moved in?"

The shelves and fridge had been empty aside from about half a dozen items. The kitchen like the rest of the apartment looked hardly lived in. Booth wondered why Sweets had never 'moved in' here and he felt like he knew the answer, Sweets lived at work, more than just in the physical sense.

"Been busy." Sweets said answering Angela's question.

"Okay, well, we put it all away. Do you want something to eat now?" Angela asked.

"No, maybe later." Sweets said uncontrollably nodding off again.

"Dr. Sweets," Cam said coming over. "Would you like some water with the pain medication?" Cam was looking at the label on the orange bottle.

"No. Not right now." Sweets answered again, more tired still.

"Dr. Sweets, not taking prescribed medications…." Brennan began in her logical tone.

"Not, right, now." Sweets said trying to contain his irritation.

"Look, maybe Sweets needs some rest, maybe we'll leave him alone for a while." Booth said standing up and moving everyone towards the door. "I'll make sure he gets settled in."

"I'm fine." Sweets said standing up now as though to prove the point. "I'll do jumping jacks if you guys want. I don't want to take the pain meds on an empty stomach and I just ate before leaving the hospital. Okay?" He asked clearly tired and more than irritable. "I'm really fine, I just need some time alone okay? No one needs to stay, I'll be fine. Really, go."

They all looked at him and hadn't realized the answers he had given them, mostly because he hadn't communicated them to them.

"Okay." Booth said speaking for the group. "But keep your phone nearby. It's charged up." Booth said picking it up off the counter and handing it to Sweets. Sweets realized he hadn't seen it since Derringer had taken it off him.

"Fine." Sweets said agreeing to their terms.

After a few more 'hope you feel better' and 'see you tomorrow' they left. Sweets collapsed back on the couch completely drained now. He reached over to set his phone down on the end table and felt the prescription bottle. He picked it up and looked at it. He threw the bottle across the room. His stomach grumbled because it was empty. He had just lied to them about everything he had said. He knew what he thought of that as a psychologist but he didn't want to hear it right now. Not even from himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5.

"Dammit kid answer the damn phone." Booth said under his breath for the third time after having tried to call Sweets, who after three tries, had not answered. This left Booth driving too fast for the comfort of drivers around him, speeding off to Sweets apartment. With the news he had, he was more than a little concerned where Sweets was.

After three loud knocks and one angry glance from a neighbor down the hall Booth opted to pick the lock. The door popped open and Booth entered, calling Sweets again but was not comforted by the fact that he was nowhere to be found.

"Agent Booth?" A voice asked hoarse and surprised. Booth spun around to see Sweets standing in the doorway. Booth let out a heavy sigh of relief. As he looked down he saw Sweets phone on the table, where Booth had left it the night before. He picked it up and held it out to Sweets ready to give a lecture.

"I forgot it okay?" Sweets said eying the couch with great anticipation, he looked completely drained.

"Where were you?" Booth said trying to hide a note of concern in his voice.

Sweets sat on the couch and looked about to fall asleep. Booth was bothered that Sweets looked awful but it seemed to bother anyone but Sweets.

"A walk. I just went on a walk."

"A walk?" Booth asked as though he were asking if he were serious. Booth then realized Sweets had just about fallen asleep. "Hey, Sweets!" He said waking him up, his concern wasn't lessening.

"Yeah?" Sweets asked as though he weren't sure where their conversation left off.

"Aren't you supposed to rest or something?"

"I thought I was but someone woke me up." Sweets added sarcastically.

"I mean to be out walk…" Booth sighed at the return of sarcastic Sweets.

"Look Booth, it's a little uninteresting around here." Sweets said motioning around his apartment that had the feeling of home about as much as corporate waiting room.

"You know what, never mind, the reason I came by…" Booth paused so he could tap Sweets knee to get him to focus and stay awake again. "The reason I came by Sweets…" He paused as he wasn't sure how he was going to react to the news. "Derringer's body showed up at the lab."

Booth saw he now had Sweets attention, wide awake now.

"They found the body, it came to the lab for identification. Bones called me as soon as Angela made the match."

Booth waited for Sweets to say something, anything.

"Interesting." Sweets said nodding at the information.

"Interesting? Are you kidding me Sweets? The man who kidnapped, tortured and tired to kill you just over a week ago was found dead. And that's interesting?"

"What do you think I did it?" Sweets asked defensive.

"What?" Booth asked at the question that came out of left field. "No, Derringer's been dead for 6 days Bones said. I'm pretty sure I know you whereabouts around that time." Booth said playing the sarcastic game as well. "And I'm pretty sure even more that you weren't in condition to kill someone."

Sweets looked away from Booth at the floor. He didn't want to think about his recent hospital stay, the stiff, soreness that wouldn't relent from his hands, the stinging cuts and broken ribs on his body. But he did remember them, every time he moved, forcing him back in that room with Derringer.

"Maybe I was hoping to kill him myself." Sweets said offering Booth a thought above "interesting."

"No you don't want that." Booth said knowing the days Sweets took someone's life was going to be a serious one. Though he wasn't a trained psychologist, he knew that wasn't on Sweets mind. "Look, I just wanted you to know, he's not out there anymore."

"How did you say he died?" Sweets asked confused.

"Look, that's not important…"

"I think it kind of is. That seems pretty random. Did he kill anyone else before he was killed?"

"It doesn't look like it. He would have been killed just after he left, after he left where you were." Booth said stumbling over the last part. "He was in his car, went off the road over some rugged terrain. It was smashed up badly, took a few days before they found it. Then it was at the Jeffersonian, etc."

Sweets still seemed puzzled and calculated the odds of a killer being killed on his way to his next kill. Something didn't seem right and Sweets suspected that Booth felt the same, he was trying to act like they were going to put Derringer behind them, for Sweets sake.

"Look, you still look really tired, so I'm going to get out of your hair." Booth said getting up and heading to the door. "How about Bones and I stop by later?"

Sweets nodded his head automatically but his mind was far elsewhere.

* * *

Booth left before nine a.m. and Sweets spend the next hour flipping thru 104 channels thirteen times. He quickly realized that daytime TV was not his thing. He looked at the stacks of books that littered the mantle on his fake fire place. He wasn't interested in reading either. Now that he knew about Derringer he couldn't get his mind off it.

Sweets hated being alone in his apartment, which is why he preferred being at work, busy, occupied. _Work_, he thought over to himself. He figured he could get ready, catch the subway since he had no car, maybe go into work for a couple of hours. He liked the idea as he headed off to the bedroom to find some more business like clothes.

He opened his closet and made some selections. He shed his tee shirt and instead preferred the comfort of a button down shirt, one that had a collar to cover the new scar on his neck. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. He quickly pushed it shut preferring not to see the many bandages holding new scars under them.

_If it weren't hard enough to explain the old ones, what now? _He thought in a defeated manner. Daisy understood with the little he had told her. He had kept it from people, so few knew and he wanted it that way. It was one of the many things in his mind that kept him from wanting to meet new people, new women. It was hard to keep it a secret in intimate moments for long.

He thought then about his _friends_ as he pulled on his dress pants. He wondered how he felt about his _friends _as the word didn't come easily to him. He wasn't part of the Jeffersonian, he was part of whoever needed him a moment at a time at the bureau. _Just where do I belong, _he asked himself standing to tuck in his shirt. Sweets noticed, but choose to ignore how big his clothes were.

* * *

Sweets arrived at the FBI building near the lunch hour and was glad a lot of people would be gone for lunch. He didn't feel like stopping to chat with people about as unappealing as the thought of lunch. It took him a while longer to get to his office since it wasn't where he left it.

After being provided his new office number Sweets wondered where he had been shoved to now. He was pleased when he saw the quality of offices improving as he grew closer and soon realized he was on the same floor as Booth and the other agents. He wasn't sure though if that was good or just meant more interruptions. He neared what would be the correct number when he saw a pretty and young brunette pinning up her hair in what looked to be a long day even this early.

"No, I didn't tell you to delete!" She yelled at the screen and quickly put her head in her hands clearly frustrated.

"It would be easier if the computers were voice activated." Sweets said trying not to smile at her frustration.

Emma looked up and smiled back, "no it would be easier if I were smarter than the machine." She said and added a laugh.

"Well, sorry to bother you, but I'm looking for office…"

"This is your office Dr. Sweets." Emma said standing to motion to the door behind her.

"Oh, you knew it was me?" Sweets asked surprised. "Have we met before?"

"Uh, no." Emma said not wanting to mention her visit to the hospital. She didn't want to bring it up since Sweets had slept thru it all. "I've been working on your calendar, files and such." She said and noticed the young doctor was swaying some while she talked. "Would you like to see the office?" She asked opening the door giving him a good excuse to go and sit down.

Sweets walked in and tried to casually walk to his desk and sit down. He was frustrated that mere walks and outings left him so exhausted. The rational part of his mind told him it was all part of healing but the rest of him was telling that rational part to shut up and just fuss about it.

Sweets looked up and smiled at Emma. He knew he had been short and sarcastic to everyone. He hadn't known what to think of them – did they care about him past using him for cases and advice? He didn't know. Emma however, he didn't know her and he couldn't pass the same harsh judgment. Instead he smiled a genuine smile at her girl next door attitude. She was obviously tired but she wasn't going to complain.

"I'll let you get settled and come back later." Emma said noticing he needed a moment to catch his breath.

Sweets nodded and looked around his office. Whoever moved him had everything back in just the right spot. He felt at home, more than his own home, and immediately fired up his computer. He quickly relaxed after seeing hundreds of emails were not waiting for him. He realized Emma must be to thank for that. His calendar appeared to be cleared for another week and the appointments after that were sprinkled in at a slow pace. He breathed as this wasn't going to be as bad as he thought, plus now he could get to what he wanted to faster, the details of Derringer's death.

Sweets research was slowed by the lack of dexterity in his hands and fingers but eventually enough laborious clicks led him to the case. He couldn't get past a particular fact, how was Derringer's body so quickly shipped to the Jeffersonian. Generally a body would be found and the team called to the site, why was this one signed sealed and delivered?


	6. Chapter 6, A Return

In case there was doubt, I still do not own Bones, lol.

ASC: Thank you SO MUCH for the great reviews! It's fun to write if great reviewers are reading and enjoying! Yay!

* * *

Chapter 6:

Booth had gone to the crime scene after leaving Sweets place but had found little to view. It appeared the scene had been cleaned up when the body was removed. He spent more time tracking down Derringer's car which had been crushed. Booth found it odd that generally paperwork that took forever in this case had been expedited so quickly. There would be no evidence for anyone to look over at the scene or in the car. Booth did not feel comforted by this fact.

He arrived at the Jeffersonian feeling frustrated at Sweets and the cause for Sweets own frustration, Derringer. Booth would have liked for the chance at Derringer himself, at least the joy in arresting him. Instead no one had the feeling of justice. He wondered what was really going on in Sweets mind but that seemed to be an impenetrable fortress right now, guarded by a thick layer of sarcasm.

"Hey Bones." Booth greeted as he climbed the platform. "Got anything?"

Brennan put down her tools and looked frustrated at Booth.

"Must be fashionable, everyone has that frustrated look these days." Booth said trying a stab at humor.

"There's nothing." Brennan said. "It appears that these bones were cleaned before they arrived."

"Cleaned? Why would someone clean the bones before delivering them to the Jeffersonian?"

"I don't know." Brennan said and Booth realized that was the least amount of fancy words she had used. She really was exhausted too at this case that didn't want to seem to end and was now instead taking on a new life.

"How is Sweets?" Brennan asked knowing he had gone and visited him.

Booth sighed and his shoulders dropped and Brennan had her answer already but he spoke anyway. "He's, he's not Sweets."

Brennan nodded her head in understanding and sadness at the thought their Sweets might be gone. She hoped not but she had not ideas on how to fix him, outside of his own soft science of course. She felt more comfortable with things she knew, like cases.

"Let's check with Angela. She's been working on the paper trail where these bones came from."

Booth and Brennan headed to Angela's office. Before they entered they could hear what they weren't sure was swearing or frustrated grunts. Either way they were concerned when they entered and saw the same screen shot of a piece of paper pop up on the screen over and over and Angela repeating "that can't be."

Booth was about to ask what it was that was the problem when he saw that Angela was nearly shaking.

"What is it?" Brennan asked with a great deal of concern looking at her friend. Angela stared at the screen in disbelief.

"I tracked everything from the crash on. The incident was reported anonymously thru a tips website. I have the name of that person. I also have the transactions with orders from the accident site destroying the vehicle, and finally the transactions that the bones be sent to the morgue, cleaned and be sent to the Jeffersonian."

"Why isn't that good news?" Booth asked sensing the grave tone of Angela's voice.

"Because they are all signed by Christopher Pelant."

* * *

"Hey guys I've got some…" Hodgins said stopping in his tracks at the three faces staring at papers on Angela's large screen. "What's going on?" He asked curiously.

"It's not possible Angela, he's dead." Booth said not stopping to bring Hodgins up to speed.

"Oh I know that Booth." Angela said rubbing her head. "And I'm quite glad I assure you. However I am only telling you what I have found out."

"Well check again." He said feeling his stomach turn repeatedly.

"I have, that's what I've been doing, comparing and rechecking."

"Pelant is back?" Hodgins asked incredulously. "How is that? That can't be, he's dead, Booth shot him. You shot him right?" Hodgins asked Booth. He knew the answer but he also knew what Pelant was capable of recalling the last year.

"Yes, I remember it quite clearly." Brennan answered.

"There is a possibility." Angela said and they were all interested to hear it. "I would have never thought of it, but, Pelant was a computer genius. He could have, before we found him, taken the time to upload himself, virtually."

"What? I don't get…" Booth started to ask what they were all thinking.

"I would need some more to work with but it is possible that he took the time to upload everything he knew, he basically became a computer. The computer would run scenarios based on what he would have done and continues on."

"So you're saying that Pelant killed Derringer? How is that possible?"

"From what I have seen so far." Angela began while pulling up images to her screen. "Derringer left after he thought he had killed Sweets." She said it like she would about any other case but the afterthought caught in her mind. She pushed it away and continued. "We don't know exactly what time he left there, but it was probably around midnight that his car went off the road."

"Sweets was to the hospital by then." Booth said thinking along.

"Yeah." Angela said bringing up an image of the smashed car. "This is the only photo taken of the scene." She said in a tone that was suspicious. "If there were more photos taken they are gone. The initial findings, which are sparse was that the electrical failed in the car and he wasn't able to control it and it went over the side. It was ruled accidental and no investigated was furthered. Probably because the orders were placed, and you guessed it, signed by a C. Pelant that the case was closed, the car was sent to be destroyed and the bones ordered to the morgue, etc."

"So he was able to do all this from a computer?" Booth asked to be sure he was still sane.

"It's possible, given the way this happened." Hodgins said backing up Angela. "It's all about the paperwork in our modern world, everything's technical, and right up Pelant's alley."

"So you're serious, this is possible?" Booth asked but having thought of what they had seen Pelant do before, it was starting to gain ground.

"I don't want it to be, but yeah." Angela said clicking at the screen.

"Well if there is no physical evidence, then how are we going to catch him, and what are we catching, he's dead." Brennan asked as this was not a typical case.

"We have to stop him, because my guess is he's not done yet." Hodgins added.

"We have to get in his head, his virtual head anyway." Angela said still clicking away.

"I only know one person who can do that." Booth said leaving the room.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7.

Booth was beyond pissed as he drove to the bureau. Having called Sweets phone repeatedly for the second time, again with no answer he found it, again on the table, in his empty apartment. Booth put it in his pocket and locked the door he had picked to get in again. _Friends shouldn't have to pick their friends lock when they stop by. _A voice told Booth while another nasty reminder of his friendship with Sweets came to mind, _Me, he picks me._

He pushed the thoughts out of his mind as he left, pissed and determined at this point to shove a locating device down Sweets throat when he found him if he wasn't going to answer his phone.

He arrived at the bureau and headed to his office trying to concentrate past his frustration on how to best located the young doctor. He took a corner too sharp on his way he literally bumped into Agent Landry.

"Agent Booth." Landry said backing up to pick up his papers. Booth felt bad about their last encounter where he accused Landry of using Sweets. He stopped to help pick them up.

"Sorry about that." Booth said tightly as the apology did not come easily.

"I'm glad to see that Dr. Sweets is doing better." Landry said standing up with his papers. Booth was confused.

"You stopped to see him at home?"

"No, in his office, I saw he was…." Landry stopped as the look on Booth's face grew fierce.

"You've GOT to be kidding me." Booth said furious as he marched off in the direction of Sweets new office.

* * *

Booth eyes narrowed as he approached Sweets door. Emma was just coming out of Sweets office having brought him up to speed on what she had done in his absence. She jumped when she looked up from her paper to see Booth right in front of her. Booth looked down at the shorter woman and noticed a strange discoloration on her neck.

"Is everything okay Agent Booth?" Emma asked reading the grim expression on his face. The question brought Booth back to the present and he forgot what he saw.

"Yes, Emma, I need you to, I don't even know what exactly. There's a guy, from an old case…it's complicated. But just, keep an eye out." He said wanting to warm the nice lady because if it was Pelant, no one was safe.

"Um okay, Agent Booth, sure." Emma said though she wasn't sure what exactly he was asking.

Booth went past Emma and thru Sweets door which he slammed when he got in. The sight of Sweets only frustrated him more in clothes that were too big, circles growing under his eyes and a general look of exhaustion and lingering illness.

"What the hell are you doing?" Booth asked as Sweets looked up at him.

"I'm working." Sweets answered plainly.

"Really, because I'm pretty sure the discharge papers from the doctor said to be resting at home, not go to work the next day." Booth spat at him.

Sweets rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Hey, don't roll your eyes…" Booth began but Sweets but him off which surprised Booth.

"I'm not twelve Booth, it's up to me…" Sweets began and they were both so involved in being angry that they didn't realize they were yelling at each other.

"We'll it's got to be up to someone Sweets! You're not well and now with…"

Sweets got up as soon as Booth said he wasn't well and immediately regretted it as his very empty stomach instantly reminded him sending sick shivers thru his body. Booth stopped at "with" and immediately stepped forward when Sweets swayed a step back. Sweets tried to wave him off but the dizziness and woozy wouldn't abate.

"Sweets…"

"What!" Sweets all but yelled putting one hand on his desk to stop the room from spinning but the other on his head as though to make it stop as well. "What more do you want from me?" Sweets continued and Booth took a step back at the question.

Booth immediately tensed but was somewhat glad this came up, he felt it was directly related to the comment that had played over and over in his head, the ultimatum.

Booth opened his mouth to talk but the door opened and Emma entered with a piece of paper in her hand. Booth was annoyed with the interruption when he was about to get their situation out on the table but the worried look on Emma's face told him that conversation would have to wait.

"I just received this. I believe this is what you referring to." Emma said trying to sound calm.

Booth took the paper and Sweets took his head out of his hand so he could read it as well.

_I'm back, are you better so we can play Dr. Sweets?_

Booth looked at Sweets as Pelant was directing this at him, and the header at the top read that it was sent to Emma's email. For a dead guy he was sure up to date.


	8. Chapter 8

Do not own Bones, but I do have a plastic skeleton in my Halloween stuff!

Thanks for the reviews! Hoping you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 8.

Booth was not taking it too slow as he and Sweets headed to the Jeffersonian. Emma went back to her desk a bit confused on what went on and why she had to wait there until an agent could escort her home. She just assumed work late because she wasn't going to be relaxed at home, that was a no brainer.

Booth looked to Sweets who sat contemplative in the passenger seat. Booth thought of how they hadn't gotten to finish their talk but it seemed that was going to wait. He didn't like the uncomfortable silence in the car between he and Sweets. He may have felt annoyed at Sweets at times, but it wasn't that now, it was genuine worry. Worst of all Booth realized, he didn't know how to fix it.

"She looked upset." Sweets said finally and Booth felt relieved that for the first time in a long time Sweets was _starting_ a conversation, even if he had no clue what he was talking about.

"Uh, who are we talking about Sweets?" Booth said softly, not wanting to get bit by Sweets sarcastic side, or worse, make him feel bad enough he would stop talking all together.

"Emma, she looked upset."

"Well, I'm sure we dropped a bit of a bomb on her when we rushed out after telling her about Pelant." Booth said more casually, feeling more relaxed.

"Before that. We were going over files, she seemed bothered by something, before the Pelant bomb." Sweets said and Booth realized Sweets was being contemplative about Emma, not Pelant. Booth wondered if that was a good or bad thing.

"She's nice." Booth said not sure what else to add but he continued anyway. "She seems concerned about people, like you." _Or how you used to be before we all got to live with sarcastic and moody Sweets _Booth said to himself. "She hadn't met you, she came with me to the hospital one night."

A small smile crept across Sweets face, something Booth hadn't seen in over a week. "So that's where the puzzle book came from." Sweets said amused.

Booth wasn't sure what to comment but for a moment he recalled the discoloration on Emma's neck. He tried to figure out how to work that in conversation but they arrived at the Jeffersonian with bigger problems at the moment.

* * *

"Dr. Sweets!" Cam said surprised as he and Booth walked in the Jeffersonian area where they all were. Brennan turned to greet Sweets but was taken aback by his appearance as her stomach sank a little.

"Dr. Soroyan." Sweets acknowledged back and followed Booth to Angela's office. Cam looked to Brennan, surprised at Sweets curt reply. Brennan tried to give her an encouraging smile but it was hard for her to back it up with a great deal of confidence that that situation of Sweets mood was going to improve. They followed the others into Angela's office.

Angela turned to greet Sweets with intentions of a big hug when she saw Cam motion to not to and she figured she would get the rest of that story later. Right now it was business as they all turned to Angela's screen.

"Are we all up to date so far?" Angela asked looking around and paused when looking at Sweets.

"Yeah, Booth told me back at the office." He explained.

"Well I've spent the last couple of hours trying to figure out how Pelant could pull this off. There are a number of software programs he could have combined. The issue is figuring out how to stop him, since he's like a super computer."

"Are there other programs you can run that could do….something?" Sweets asked pointing to the screen not knowing what to call such software.

"Sweetie, I don't even entirely understand what he is using now, or what he is now. This is just so weird." She said rubbing her head.

"Have we ruled out a copy cat?"

"Are you serious?" Hodgins asked since they all knew how much Pelant liked to play with them.

"Well yes. This doesn't fit Pelant's MO in my opinion." Sweets began. "This all would have to been uploaded prior to Pelants death. He was way too cocky to think he was going to lose."

"What I don't understand is why now?" Hodgins asked. "I mean he's been dead for a while now, why did he suddenly pop up?"

"I think I do have the answer to that." Angela said pulling up some documents on the screen. She glanced at Sweets nervously as she clicked away. Sweets was confused in regards to her demeanor.

"The answer is Sweets." She said pulling up Booth's 911 call when they found Sweets.

"Why are we playing this?" Booth asked with an annoyed concern.

"Because during this call the servers Pelant is using, become active." Angela explained.

"So something in Booth's call triggered Pelant to become active?" Cam asked. "What did Booth say?" She asked looking between Angela and Booth.

"I think it was the combination of 'Dr. Lance Sweets', 'officer down', 'ambulance' and 'life-threatening emergency'." Angela said while bringing up more screen shots. "See when Booth says those phrases the computer here, activates and locks onto those words."

"But why Sweets?" Brennan asked. "Why would Pelant become active based on Sweets being possibly being dead?"

"Because he thought Sweets was going to die." Booth said cautiously. Sweets looked back at Booth for a moment and then back at the screen. He considered the idea as well as absorb the fact that everyone in the room was staring at him though he didn't pay attention.

"How would that make a difference?" Cam asked and Booth immediately answered before anyone else could speak.

"Because Sweets was the only one that Pelant tried to kill. Sure he terrorized Hodgins because he got close, but Sweets was the only one he tried to physically remove." He paused to let it sink in. "Sweets was his match, the only one, in Pelant's opinion, who could realistically take him down."

"Booth may be onto something there." Angela began pulling up more screen shots. "This database was begun on Pelant's part the same day that he sent that girl to kill Sweets in traffic. It may have occurred to Pelant that for the first time that he could lose."

"Then I retract my previous thought. He is even more egotistical because he sought a way to live- forever." Sweets said.

"And when he thought Sweets was out of the picture again, he activated in the system." Hodgins pieced together.

"No one to stop him." Cam said understanding.

They all turned to Sweets though unintentionally. Sweets read their faces which shouted wordlessly, 'figure out how to stop him, quick.' In Sweets mind a nasty thought reared its head, _a psychopathic killer picks you above the rest, but do your friends?_

Before anyone could say anything more out loud Dr. Edison came to the door. "Um Dr. Brennan, you are going to want to see this."

"Not now Mr. Edison we are…"

"It's another body, I think it was from Pelant." He said trying to stay composed.

While Sweets and Booth knew they weren't going to examine the body, they still felt the need to come along.

"It was delivered here, same as the last one." Dr. Edison explained.

"Do we have any more information?" Brennan asked.

"Apparently the victim was hit by a train. The engineer swears that he pushed the signal button but the arms were up signaling that it was clear. The victim was killed instantly." Dr. Edison explained.

"Pelant could easily have over ridden the signals electronically." Angela explained irritated at the endless possibilities.

"Do you have an ID?" Booth asked but Dr. Edison shook his head to the negative.

"Well, it looks like we have some work to do." Brennan said approaching the mangled body.

"There was no car at the scene?" Booth asked.

"The officer said he was ordered to send the car off."

"So we'll need to ID this person, someone who is…" Booth began.

"It's Daisy." Sweets said and everyone turned to him.

"Sweets, we don't know…" Booth began but saw that Sweets was staring at a partial of the victim's leg.

"It was a one of kind tattoo." Sweets said and Booth saw what he was looking at now. He felt sick and looked at Sweets who closed his eyes and walked away.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9.

Booth didn't stop Sweets from walking away and sitting on the nearby steps. The others looked at each other, searching for a reason that it wasn't her, it wasn't Daisy, but they knew the sickness that was Pelant and could hardly dispute the possibility it was, especially if Pelant was wanting to shake Sweets.

No one wanted to touch the body. Instead they covered it and walked closer to Sweets, keeping a distance though Booth was nearer to him.

"Hey Sweets, I can take you home…" Booth offered but Sweets shook his head.

"Daisy and I weren't together anymore…"

"But you were once." Booth pointed out. Booth couldn't tell if Sweets was just in shock or worse, if he were just so far gone emotionally that the latest shock was nothing new. Under normal circumstances he would have expected Sweets to be curled up on the floor inconsolable. This new Sweets was stoic, but maybe a little too much.

"Look, I don't know what I'd be feeling if…" Booth wasn't sure how to describe this exact situation, combined with the week Sweets had already been having. He felt sorry for the kid, mostly because he refused to feel sorry for himself. He was moody sure, but never pathetic.

"We've got to find him." Sweets said rubbing his tired head. "That's what we have to do." He said standing up but on wobbly legs.

"Whoa," Booth began trying to pause him. "I don't think so Sweets, you're not up for this, you need rest. I mean I would be being kind if I said you looked like hell."

"He's getting closer Booth." Sweets said ignoring his comment. "Which one of them do you want to risk next?" Sweets said in a low tone nodding to the group. Booth swallowed hard as the thought of the ultimatum came back to him again.

"Right." Booth said realizing that Pelant was only trying to get closer to them. "Christine and Michael Vincent go home from daycare now." Booth said. "Bones, call your dad. He'll watch them at our place."

"Are you sure that's…." Angela began fearing for her child.

"We all need to work on this, together." He said eyeing Sweets on the last word. "And Max won't let anything happen to those kids." Brennan, Angela and Hodgins nodded in agreement to that statement.

"Curious, if Pelant is getting closer, then why Derringer?" Cam asked as Brennan made the call to her father.

"To show us he could do what we couldn't." Sweets said gaining their attention. "He wanted to show us, even dead, he could stop Derringer, which we failed to do."

"Alright, the way I see it," Booth began having accepted what Sweets said but didn't like it all the same. "Hodgins, you take the kids to our place, watch your back okay? Sweets, Angela, me, we are going back to the FBI building. Angela can work with the IT team to try and track down something about catching the virtual life that is Pelant. Sweets will work on getting into Pelant's head. Squints can do squinty things, okay?" He asked as everyone nodded in agreement.

Angela kissed Jack goodbye and followed Sweets and Booth to Booth's SUV. Sweets opened the passenger side front door and waited, Angela realized he was opening it for her.

"Oh, thanks Sweets." She thought as maybe there was still hope for him in there somehwere. She watched him shut the door with balled up fists. It was then that she realized he had been walking with his hands in his pants pockets the whole time he had been there. While he often had hands in his pockets, she knew now it was for a different reason.

* * *

In the car Booth was on the phone setting people and resources up to work for Angela when they got back. Angela turned in her seat to look at Sweets who still gazed out the window.

"So, how are you doing Sweets?" She asked trying to smile.

"Fine. How are you Angela?" He asked in an autopilot conversational mode.

"I'm asking Sweets because you don't look very good."

"Thank you." Sweets added sarcastically. "That's always helpful to hear." Sweets kept looking out the window and Angela wanted to reach back and slap him.

"I'm saying it because I'm concerned Sweets. What's going on? Besides all this stuff? Do you want to talk about Daisy?" She asked feeling like she was treading on touchy ground.

"Do I want to talk about my ex-girlfriend being murdered by a computer glitch? No, not really." Sweets said continuing the cynicism.

"Well, I want to help Sweets, I know this is about more than Daisy, what…."

"Look Angela, I thank you for acting concerned, but I'm fine, I'll take care of myself."

Angela was pissed now. "First of all, I'm not acting concerned and if this is your version of taking care of yourself, well you're terrible at it." She turned and sat in her seat her mood taking a nose dive at the fact the one thing she thought she might be able to improve upon was not going to be happening.

Angela looked over at Booth who had finished with his phone call and shared the expression of 'welcome to my irritated and worried world.'

* * *

They arrived at the bureau and Booth's assistant met them as they headed up the elevator. He informed them of his plans to start a dinner order since it appears they will be working late.

Angela and Booth struggled with the thought of food over poor Daisy. She hadn't been their favorite person in the world but she was smart and a good if somewhat distanced member of the team. Still food was necessary so they added something to the order.

"Sweets? You?" Booth asked.

It pulled Sweets from his daze of thoughts and he shook his head with a "no thanks" and as soon as the doors opened left for his office.

Angela and Booth had been working on being more eye to eye on friends lately and on this there was no doubt that were in completely agreement over Sweets. As much as they didn't want to, they put Sweets behavior to the side. If they didn't figure out a way to catch Pelant, Sweets could be next.

"How secure are we here?" Angela asked Booth as they headed to the room Booth had set up.

"Why?" He asked, it was the bureau building but this was Pelant.

"Well, Pelant must have figured out that Sweets was alive, why else kill Daisy?"

"You think he'll go after him next?"

"He tried once before."

"Yeah, but he's not real this time. There's a mortality that's missing from his ego this time around."

"You're starting to sound like Sweets." Angela said with a smile.

"Someone needs to." Booth said as he headed to his office.

"Okay gentlemen, let's get started." Angela said to the room of young and techie men before her when a thought occurred to her. _The only hope we have is a damaged psychologist and a room of awesome geeks. I sure as hell hope this works._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10.

ASC: Sorry, Daisy had to go-someone close to Sweets.

Sweets got back to his office and was surprised when he realized he was a little sad to see Emma wasn't there. There was something about her that made him smile a little. He wondered if it were because she didn't know anything about him, at least not that he knew. It was as though he had a clean slate with her, no past, it was nice.

He walked in his office and over to his computer. He sat down feeling tired and exhausted. The couch called but he ignored it as the possibilities of other bodies of _friends _showing up caused him to want to get back to work. Sweets noticed the later in the day it got the more stiff his hands would often become. Now he had a hard time typing Pelant's name on the keyboard and he grew frustrated and let a few choice words slip before he let his head drop to the table with a thud.

"Dr. Sweets? Are you okay?" Emma asked thru the open door.

Sweets looked up and wondered if she were real of if he had just knocked himself silly.

"Oh, hi Emma, I thought you had gone." He said noticing she looked tired but concerned.

"No, I must have been downstairs when you came in. I was picking up a bite to eat."

"Oh, well you know it's late, you should really go home." Sweets said looking back at his monitor with a feeling of defeat.

"If it's okay, I'd rather be here." Emma said and Sweets couldn't argue with that. He preferred it too and wondered what she might be trying to escape. The thought didn't sit well with him but Emma brought him from his thoughts.

"Can I help you with some files?" Emma asked.

"No, I can get it, thank you." Sweets said but waited till she would leave so he could struggle on his own.

"If you would let me help Dr. Sweets, I would appreciate it. I, uh, want to be helpful." She said and Sweets was about to decline again but she interrupted. "I really need this job Dr. Sweets. I'm not trying make you uncomfortable when I say that, but the bureau needs to see that I'm useful, and I'd like to help."

Sweets considered the thought for a moment and wondered who exactly he was trying to prove to that he himself were so useful and independent.

"Sure, I was going to pull up the case files from Pelant, Christopher Pelant. I want to see if there is something in there."

"I'll get right on it." Emma said heading back to her desk. She walked back in with a food container. "Dr. Sweets, would you like my sandwich? I'm allergic to oats and I didn't realize until I got back up here that the top of the bread is covered with honey oats. I'll have to throw it way, unless you want it."

She held it out to Sweets and he found himself taking it if not only for not wanting it to go to waste but her genuine generosity.

"Thank you." He said taking it and popping the lid open. He looked up to see Emma heading back out to her desk and Sweets looked back at the food. For the first time in a week food finally smelled good.

* * *

Booth approached Sweets office with a sense that he was unsure, lost almost.

"Agent Booth?" Emma asked setting her sandwich back in the container. Booth nodded to the agent across the hall whom he had placed there to watch over both Emma and Sweets.

"Yeah, hi, Emma. Is Sweets in?" Booth looked down at her sandwich which looked good, a honey oat bread with lots of meat and cheese on it. He was getting hungry and he had to tear himself away from the sight of it till his food arrived.

"Yes, he is going over Pelant's files." Emma said wiping crumbs off her pencil skirt.

"Okay, thanks." Booth said going in.

Sweets looked up at Booth with a near smile on his face. Booth relaxed, despite the ongoing danger, Sweets looked a little bit better.

"Booth," Sweets began and Booth was glad that Sweets had dropped saying "agent" so formal before his name every time. "Did Angela find anything?"

Booth came closer to his desk and spied the box of food and half sandwich inside.

"Glad you found some dinner." Booth said. "You guys like the same sandwich?"

"Oh, no Emma was allergic to oats, mix up in the order…" Sweets said but caught on to the fact that Booth said "same sandwich." He smiled a little broader as Emma had tricked him into eating. It was a sweet gesture and he appreciated the non-confrontational concern, like the puzzles and unsigned card.

"Sweets?" Booth asked and Sweets was brought back to their conversation.

"Yeah, uh, yes." Sweets said shuffling his thoughts. "Did you tell me if Angela…"

"No, I was getting to that. She says the signals are bouncing off hundreds of servers. It's not looking like we can locate the server he's running off of and shut it down. Not right away anyway. Any ideas on where he might be hiding?"

"He's not a person anymore Booth." Sweets said just clearing that fact up.

"I know, it's just so frustrating. I interrogate guys you know, I get in their faces. Bones sifts thru evidence. We have neither in the in case that we can touch."

"Interesting." Sweets said and Booth felt frustrated but glad at hearing Sweets say his catch phrase. It hinted that the young doctor might be finally getting back in the swing of things.

"What's interesting?" Booth asked playing along.

"Well, it's interesting because you and Dr. Brennan can't help with this case." Sweets said and Booth was irritated at that.

"Thanks Sweets, I feel a lot better now." Booth said sitting on the edge of the desk.

"No, it's just that normally you and Dr. Brennan would be making all the moves in a case. People like Angela and I would merely be helping."

"And now it's the other way around?" Booth asked, the strange feeling coming over him that he was not in fact in charge on this one. He wondered if Sweets felt like this all the time.

"Don't worry Booth, you'll be the lead man again soon." Sweets said sorting thru this folders again, his fingers finally exhibiting some dexterity and movement.

"Well, it's not that Sweets. You know we're a team right?"

"Yeah sure." Sweets said opening a folder. "The Jeffersonian…"

"No, Sweets, I don't mean the Jeffersonian." Booth sighed as he wasn't sure it was the right time but he went with his gut. "Yeah we're all a team, but Sweets, we're the only two FBI guys here. And you know, it's more than that."

"What is?" Sweets asked and it was painful to Booth that it was oblivous to Sweets what he was talking about.

"Sweets, yes, Brennan is my partner, my wife, but you-you know, you're the closet thing I got."

"Like a buddy?" Sweets asked with a roll of his eyes. Buddy felt to Sweets like 'pawn to use when needed.'

"No, friends come and go but Sweets, I mean, hell I see you a heck of a lot more than my own brother. We're family."

"Hodgins and Angela are great…"

"They're not the same Sweets. You're part of us. You're like an uncle to Christine which makes you a brother to me." Booth saw that Sweets had stopped shifting thru his folders and knew he had finally gained his attention, and that perhaps it was sinking in.

"With Derringer, I wouldn't have…"

"That's not important." Sweets said shuffling folders again, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

"Yes, it is. Sweets, I wouldn't have picked. I don't know how, or what I would do, but I'm not letting _any _of my family go without a fight."

Sweets looked at Booth in shock. He had always looked up to Booth and sought his approval but now to hear it back, to have it validated, a great weight was lifted.

"Pelant!" Sweets said which caused Booth's brow to furrow.

"What no, he's not family, wait, what? I'm trying to be serious here."

Sweets jumped up, "Emma can you come in here?" He called to her thru the open door.

"Sweets, I.."

"Booth, thank you." Sweets said holding out a hand for a hand shake to say thank you with a smile Booth was glad to see return. He was so happy he had forgotten his own rule and pulled Sweets by the shoulder into a sideways manly hug. He followed it by slapping him on the back which Sweets smiled and pretended the cuts and broken ribs didn't hurt.

"Oh, sorry Sweets, I forgot." Sweets said backing up.

"No, it's fine, I feel _a lot _better." Sweets said realizing he really did feel, a lot better.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11.

"Yes Dr. Sweets?" Emma said coming into the office. While she noticed he still looked tired and had to lean against the desk from falling over, though he looked reinvigorated in some ways.

"Emma, oh, by the way, Lance is fine." Emma smiled and Booth wondered if they were both blushing for some reason. "I need your help."

Emma was glad that Sweets was now asking for her help. Booth grinned because he too was glad to see cynical Sweets start to fade.

"I want to look at Pelant's patterns." Sweets started to gather up particular files and hand them to Emma. "The computer Pelant will be basing his decision off what he did before. I'd like to lay them out and group them together." Sweets said trying to kneel to the floor but the pain in his ribs were flaring.

"Do you have some pills I can get you, Dr. Sweets?"

"Yes he does but good luck." Booth said gritting his teeth.

"I'm fine." Sweets said.

"See." Booth said under his breath.

"Booth if I take them I'll be sleepy and I can't sleepy right now." Sweets said in his defense. Booth relented because he knew that they needed Sweets brain running as smoothly as he hoped it still could.

"Fine, but we're going to help." Booth said looking at Emma who nodded. "And after this case if over, you get some rest." The two of them sat on the floor and waited for Sweets to instruct them on how to lay out the files.

Sweets nodded in agreement and continued with instructions.

"Mrs. Montenegro?" One of the tech asked though seemingly nervous to talk to such a 'pretty lady' as she heard one of them call her when she came in.

"Angela is fine Sweetie." She said and he nearly fainted.

"I think I found something though it's not directly related to the current case…"

"Well then we're not concerned Sweetie, we need to track down where ever this computer is so we can shut it down. It's a techie way of killing the bad guy okay?"

"It's just that it has to do with yourself and Dr. Jack Hodgins."

Angela was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"I found in the files we've been going over something that related to your last case, it appears this Mr. Pelant had ciphered some money away from Dr. Hodgins. I've located it."

"You what?!" Angela asked loud enough everyone stopped for a moment to turn their attention to her.

"Yes, I believe we could extract it if you so desire." Angela wasn't sure if he was always so monotone of if there was something more.

"Well, yeah, sure." Angela said still catching up to the shock and excited to tell Jack. "Wait, is there something wrong, you seem hesitant."

"There are two things. If I do take the money it will be removing it from a charity."

Angela sighed as she knew Pelant knew they may have eventually located the money. Pelant wasn't being charitable, he was being malicious again - just like with the girls school.

"Well, I am guessing Jack isn't going to want that." She said. "What is the other thing?"

"Well, I'm afraid by extracting the money we are going to need to prove it was yours, which won't be very hard, we can show the money thru the lineage."

"Okay, so what's wrong with that?"

"From what I have seen so far, the money, the original, old heritage money, was earned thru a slave trade."

"What?!" Angela said.

"Oh it certainly wasn't any of Dr. Hodgins doing."

Angela nodded, she had figured that out. "I'm sure you're wrong, Hodgins family didn't…"

"Well not in recent years no, this dates back to the founding of the country."

Angela wanted to leave a few choice words at finding that out and wondered whether or not she should tell Hodgins about any of this.

"Let's just get back to work on finding that hard drive."

* * *

Three hundred and fifty four files later, Booth and Emma were done placing the files in piles Sweets wanted. The time it took was longer since he kept wanting to help.

"Please tell me you just solved the case." Booth said tired of crawling around and was by now sure that field work was more his thing.

"I wish, trust me I wish."

Booth's phone rang and he got up from the floor so he could answer it at a distance so he could hear.

"Lance!" Sweets said again to Emma after she had again called him Dr. Sweets. Booth smiled at the banter between them.

Emma and Sweets continued to discuss the folders and remove certain piles as necessary. It looked like a huge mess to Booth but he knew Sweets had a plan. At least he hoped good Sweets did. He hoped moody Sweets was MIA.

"Booth." He answered. "Yeah, I'm on my way."

Emma and Sweets looked over to Booth.

"Bones just got another body."

* * *

Booth was about to get in the car when his cell rang again.

"Yeah Bones, I'm on my way."

"No, Booth, I'm calling you because I don't think you need to. We had an ID on our victim."

"Really? How so quick? I thought…"

"I think Pelant wanted us to be able to figure this out very quickly." Brennan said then her voice softened. "It was too easy."

"What do you mean?" Booth asked now nervous.

"The name doesn't matter," Brennan said and Booth knew she was stalling. "It's Sweets birth mother."

"Shit." Booth said shutting the car door and heading back into the Hoover building.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12.

Booth rode the elevator wondering if Sweets wasn't quite so much "cranky Sweets" as he was "recovering Sweets" how he was going to take this latest bit of information. While he wasn't generally a procrastinator he decided to stop in and check on Angela first.

"Hey Angela, anything new?" Booth asked feeling like a pinball bouncing from office to office to gather not much news.

"Booth, hey, what is it?" She asked immediately seeing the look on his face.

Booth sighed as he didn't realize he had such a tell on his face, he must be getting really tired he decided.

"We've got another body." Booth said and immediately Angela's eyebrows raised. "Sweets mom, his birth mom."

"I didn't realize Sweets as adopted." Angela said after Booth made the distinction.

"Yeah with the foster…" He stopped when he realized Angela didn't know about Sweets past. He decided it wasn't up to him to share. "Yeah, he was."

Angela could tell there was more but that Booth wasn't indulging.

"So did he know her?" Angela asked what would be pertinent to the present.

"No, he was really young, he tried to find her once but she was a carnie."

"And if Pelant found her…" Angela said realizing the implication.

"Yeah." Booth said nodding agreeing.

"What?" The techie said who was listening in but despite his three inch thick glasses, had absorbed very little.

"One of our team, Dr. Sweets, his 'hard to find' birth mother was the most recent victim." She explained. "The previous victim was Dr. Sweets ex-fiancé."

"So?" The kid asked.

"So Pelant is getting smarter, computer Pelant that is, but they're the same. It's weird to think of him as a person."

"Why is this Pelant guy so interested in Dr. Sweets?" The kid asked and the rest listened in as they had only been provided with the most basic of information and just told what to look for on a technical side.

"He's the first one of our team to figure out Pelant's motives. He was a real threat to Pelant." Angela explained.

"And if he got him once, Pelant thinks he will get him again." Booth further explained.

"Yeah, so he's going to try and throw anything in his path to rattle him." Angela said which prompted an idea for Booth.

"Do we tell him? About his mom?" Booth asked and Angela considered it.

"I don't know Booth, I don't think we should keep it from him." Angela said as the two of them moved away from the group to discuss in semi-private. "He should know."

"Yeah, but I don't know how he will take the news. And right now, unless you guys find that server, he's the only one who is able to."

"No pressure on Sweets." Angela said sarcastically. The statement made Booth reflect a moment. Angela noticed.

"We're not always that nice to Sweets." She said and Booth couldn't fail to acknowledge that with a nod. "I mean we made fun of his profession, give him a hard time, even when we know he's right. And he's not that annoying kid anymore. He's kind of grown up."

"He's seen a lot in the last six years." Booth acknowledged. "We were harsh at one time, then critical, sometimes closed off…"

"And Sweets was always willing to help, waiting, just being Sweets." Angela said filled with a sense of guilt. "We care about him though." She said reassuringly.

"Yeah, but I don't think Sweets gets that. And maybe we haven't gone really out of our way to show it." Booth said afraid of getting too much in the emotional realm he did not enjoy touching upon very often.

"I'll leave it up to you Booth. I won't say anything to him until you think we should." Angela said in regards to Sweets' mom.

Booth considered it and didn't like having to figure out the answer. "Let's catch Pelant first. I'll go check and see if Sweets came up with anything." Booth said leaving the room.

"Mrs. Montengro, you'd better take a look at this."

* * *

Booth walked towards Sweets office and heard voices being exchanged.

"No, not like that!" One voice said.

"You are such a pain!" The other said as Booth opened the door to see Sweets and Emma sitting on the floor surrounded in papers.

"Do I need to separate you two kids?" He asked clearly amused with their banter.

Sweets issued one of his signature "really?" looks and went back to trying to grab the note pad from Emma who pulled it away. Sweets sighed as the quick movement stung some.

"Gotta be faster than that Sweets." She said and Booth had to grin with how quickly she fit in. She was obviously comfortable as hair was pinned up and heels discarded. Sweets too had shed his dress coat and tie.

"I can write." Sweets whined as he continued to eye the notepad.

"Yeah, but I'll retire by time you get it all written down." Emma said with a grin that Sweets couldn't get mad at. Booth wondered for a moment why she could get away with so much.

"I think I may have something here." Sweets said as Emma wrote down the last of what they were discussing before Booth came in.

Booth felt hopeful that not only did they have some info but that Sweets was back in action.

"Pelant is all about revenge. When Hodgins nearly strangled him to death, he went over Hodgins money. You were going to marry Dr. Brennan and he stepped in. He's an extremely jealous and vindictive person."

"How does this help me Sweets?" Booth asked not wanting to pressure Sweets who had little to no sleep but Booth really wanted to keep everyone alive.

"Well, first of all it shows that is what his motive is, he's definintely coming back after us…"

"You." Emma said and they both turned to look at her. "It seems like he's targeting you specificially." She said in a tone that she was guessing.

"I would concur." Booth said and Sweets looked at Booth for several seconds.

"There's another body isn't there?" Sweets asked with a sense of anxiety.

Booth hated that Sweets could always tell when a person was hiding something. It worked well in the interrogation room but sucked as a friend. He wondered if a friend trying to hide something though was a friend at all.

"If he's targeting me," which Sweets said with a certain amount of disbelief "who else could be get, I don't know many people." Sweets said the last part much softer with a sense of embarrassment and sadness.

"Your uh, birth mother." Booth said bracing himself for what was to come. He realized he should have known he couldn't keep it from Sweets, not that he would have normally wanted to. "I just found out, Sweets."

"It's okay Booth, I would have second guessed telling me too." Sweets said devoid of emotion.

Emma put a hand on Sweets nearby knee and he looked up at her quickly.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Um yeah." Sweets said shaking the thought away. "I didn't really know her, it's a long story." He said and Emma took her hand away. "Thank you though." He said smiling at her concern. "Seems weird to say but I guess it's not so bad my parents, adoptive parents that is, had passed so that…"

"Sweets, I'm sorry. What about like your real dad, foster parents do you know…"

"If Pelant wants to kill him then that's fine by me." Sweets said with a darkness in his tone that left Emma and Booth both a bit stunned.

Sweets blinked his dark brown eyes as the violence left them. "But let's get back to the case." Sweets said in a lighter tone.

"As I was saying, he's vindictive. We know that, but last time he wanted attention drawn to his crimes. He put the victims on display." Sweets continued looking at the files.

"But this time he didn't really." Booth mentioned confused.

"Only because he wasn't able to, he couldn't do it personally or have a way to do it thru a computer, at least not yet." Sweets cleared up.

"Angela did mention the computer, Pelant, is getting smarter. Like it's improving upon its previous sequences something." Booth said trying to remember what Angela had told him a slew of tech terms.

"So my point is that Pelant will want for people to notice him. He will escalate for more attention. He craves attention, he demanded it from us before and we gave it to him."

"So we should ignore him like an unruly toddler?" Booth asked with skepticism.

"Oh no, not at all." Sweets said emphatically. "That will only cause his rage to increase and probably very drastically. What I'm saying is his ego is so large he will eventually slip up. If we can force him out into the open he might unknowingly expose himself."

"Any ideas on how to do that?" Booth asked.

"One." Sweets said but he say that with a great deal of conviction which caused Booth to arch an eyebrow. "Pelant was infatuated with Dr. Brennan."

"Yeah and I'm sure when I killed him he realized that wasn't going to be reciprocated."

"Yes, but Pelant died not knowing that." Sweets said as the idea sunk in. "He uploaded himself, essentially, prior to that incident at the abandoned power plant. As far as Pelant knows, he still has a chance with Brennan."

"So you want to use Brennan as bait?" Booth asked with a relatively low amount of enthusiasm.

"No." Sweets said shaking his head. "I want to use Emma."

Emma and Booth's eyes widened as they wondered if the good doctor had gone mad.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13.

"There you are Booth." Brennan said walking in the room. "What's going on?" She asked at the silent stunned glances and opened mouths she saw around the room.

"I'm figuring out how to commit Sweets here to the looney bin." Booth said still staring at Sweets quick suggestion.

"I'll help sign." Emma said staring daggers at Sweets. She was abruptly changing her mind about him.

"No, no, no, you misunderstand what I am saying." Sweets said reading their faces. "I just mean virtually. Virtual bait."

Booth and Emma sighed though they still wondered about this plan.

"What's going on?" Brennan asked again.

"Sweets has an idea…wait, what are you doing here?" Booth asked.

"The lab is shut down. It was reported there was a chemical spill. Despite our efforts to assure FEMA that there was not they still had to follow protocol." She explained.

"Protocol and orders originated from a computer." Booth said.

"Yes, I think it would be safe to assume it came from Pelant." She explained.

"He is wanting to shut the Jeffersonian down, render us useless." Sweets suggested.

"Well he is effective so far." Brennan said.

"Okay, we need to check in with Angela, see if we are safe here and tell her about your _idea_." Booth said to Sweets.

Booth and Brenna walked from the room and Sweets slowly got up from the floor but it was quite painful against his ribs. Emma quickly came to his side and helped him up.

"Oh I'm fine." Sweets said trying to play it off. His mind was in a better place than before but his body was slow to catch up. Emma developed a small smile in the corner of her mouth along with a raised eye brow.

"I'm fine. Really." Sweets repeated thinking perhaps if he said it enough even he might believe it.

He walked to the door and Emma began picking up papers.

"You coming?" He asked and Emma felt a surge of excitement to be included in the efforts.

"Oh that's right." She said jogging the files and setting them on the desk. "I am the human bait." She added slipping on her shoes.

Sweets cheeks reddened. "I really didn't mean it like that. I would not put you in harm's way. I promise." He added and felt a bit giddy inside when he looked at her.

"Okay. I trust you." She said as they left the room.

Booth and Brennan arrived in computer central first and saw all the techies a buzz with activity. Hodgins and Cam were already there so Booth assumed Angela knew about the Jeffersonian incident.

"It's weird having you all here." Booth said.

"What do you mean Booth?" Brennan asked.

"Well, you guys are always at the Jeffersonian, now you're, here, at my place." Booth said looking at the team. "What's going on anyway?"

"Pelant is trying to invade us." Angela said just as Sweets and Emma entered. Sweets introduced her and they all nodded with smiles. Angela ran the thought thru her mind that they sure did look cute standing next to her. Hodgins and Cam smiled because she looked a heck of a lot quieter than Daisy.

"Invade us, what do you mean?" Booth asked confused.

"He's trying to crack into our systems. Mark here caught it and we've been throwing up shields." Angela explained. "We're keeping him out but he's a persistent bug."

"Wait, he's trying to hack into the FBI files?" Emma asked catching on.

"Oh not just the files." Angela explained. "He's trying to set off the sprinklers, the alarms, sick the National Guard on us, you name it."

"He must be getting frustrated it's not working." Hodgins said with a smile of delight on his face.

"He's still a computer right?" Emma asked catching up some still.

"You get frustrated at computers, why shouldn't one get frustrated back." Sweets teased Emma and she blushed with her former outburst at it.

"Well the good thing is it's keeping him busy." Booth said. "Because Sweets has an idea."

Angela was delighted at the thought and left the shield process to the techie squints while they worked on the new plan.

Sweets preferred to think and talk on his feet but his body wasn't allowing it so he leaned against the long conference table. Everyone noticed and while they hated that Sweets was working thru a great deal of pain and exhaustion they needed him and that made them feel worse.

"So Pelant desires Dr. Brennan and he will want to impress her. On the other hand, he is directing his anger at me. Right now the only person I can really think of him to target, close to me is Emma." He explained.

"What about us?" Angela asked a bit incensed. Sweets smiled inwardly that they thought of themselves as close to him.

"Everyone here knows the danger Pelant poses, he may assume Emma does not."

"Okay." Angela said nodding along. "Then I have an idea." She said picking up her tablet. "So I will have the team come up with a stream of emails between Brennan and Booth, all made up of course, suggesting there is marital trouble. They will be back dated and appear to be building in nature, Sweets you can help me with that?"

"Yes of course." He said and nodded to Emma who went to grab a note pad.

"Wait, why Sweets, shouldn't Bones and I come up with our own fake arguments?" Booth suggested, annoyed.

"I'm sure what Angela is thinking is that Dr. Sweets profiling, and well, Booth let's face it, sometimes I think he knows us better than we know ourselves." Brennan said with a sense of defeat.

Sweets smiled as it was a near compliment coming from Brennan.

"Okay, the tech team will allow Pelant to have access to that, make him think he _got in_. While he is busy processing those emails he will get a signal that we may be able to access where his server is at. Sort of like drawing him out."

"He's a computer though, how can he access emotions like that?" Hodgins asked.

"The computer is programmed to act and think like Pelant. He is not associating himself as being a computer, he is merely acting on the impulses and tendencies he uploaded." Sweets suggested realizing that profiling a computer was a first for him.

"We will overload Pelant with information. While he is trying to process the emails and the scenarios we can present the lovely Mrs. Gardner as bait." Angela said tapping on her screen more.

"Ms." Emma corrected and Booth recalled her email from a few days before. "And how exactly? As bait?"

"Pelant reguarly monitors all the survelliance cameras, traffic cameras, etc." Angela began. "If he believes you have left the building, and our protective shield, then he will find a way to, uh, elminate you. Once he tries that we can lock in on his location and make a move towards the signal coming from that computer. He should be too distracted to do both effectively."

"Pelant is highly intelligent but tends to focus intently on the task at hand to an obsessive point. We can use that to our advantage." Sweets explained.

"Okay, where should I go?" Emma asked.

"No, no Sweetie, we're not using you as live bait." Angela said and the team shook their heads vigorously to affirm they were not monsters.

"We will superimpose your image on to other footage and upload that." Angela exclaimed.

"Yeah, we're not going to chance you going out there, that would be crazy." Booth reinforced.

"But you were willing to." Sweets observed.

"I've known worse." Emma said under her breath to the point Sweets wasn't sure she heard that correctly.

"Okay, this is going to take some time, so let's get comfortable." Angela said as she and Hodgins went to work with the tech team. "Emma, I'm going to get this set up, you and Sweets can work on some dialog for those emails. We'll record you walking later so we can impose that on footage."

Booth and Brennan looked at each other along with Cam and declared they would make a run to the break room for coffee and snacks.

Once there the three of them realized for the first time they felt useless.

"I don't like being…" Brennan began.

"Useless?" Booth said emptying the machine of Snickers bars.

"We're not useless. We're getting coffee, and chocolate." Cam said trying to smile but sighed. "We all have a part, this is just not our part right now."

"How is Sweets?" Brennan asked Booth. "He looked better, better than earlier."

"He looks like he is in a great deal of pain he is trying to hide." Cam observed.

Booth suspected so but he wanted to believe it wasn't true.

"He has quite the endurance. I don't believe I would be able to, after all he's been thru." Brennan said softly.

"He's grown quite a bit." Cam said gathering the snacks with the others and heading back to the room.

It was nearly nine p.m. when Sweets was satisfied with the language in the emails that he and Emma had composed. He wanted to be sure and include any collioquisms that Brennan or Booth would have used. Once they were finished Booth and Brennan insisted on reading them and were quite impressed. Emma slipped out of the room to use the restroom.

"Okay, I'm going to have these guys upload them in a series of time lines I've already worked on…" Angela said tapping away.

"Hey that was fast work." Sweets said looking at the screen.

"What was Sweetie?"

"Wait, when did you get a chance to film Emma, we've been working non-stop…" Sweets said stopping as he figured it out.

The rest of them looked up on the screen to see Emma leaving the FBI building, and it wasn't doctored footage by Angela.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14.

Booth spit out his coffee when he realized what was going on. "Is she insane?"

"Well she fits in with the rest of the team then." Hodgins said following Booth out the door.

"Guys wait." Angela said as she and the other techs began to follow the activity on the screen. They waited to see what she was saying. "There's activity. Mark! Can you locate that. Look it's in that area."

The map on the screen started to blink and zoom in and eliminate other devices as it continued to narrow in.

"We need to go after Emma." Sweets said with growing concern.

"Then the best way to help her is to go after this server." Angela said. "You can shut down whatever Pelant is doing."

They didn't like it as much as going after Emma directly but they put their faith in Angela.

"What's the general area and we'll head that way."

"No as soon as Pelant sees you guys leave he'll be alerted, we need the address first." Angela specified.

The team didn't like that gap and the feeling of standing useless while they watched Emma stay in plain sight on screen, making sure to be caught by Pelant's cameras.

"Got it!" Mark shouted and rattled off the address.

Booth and Hodgins began to leave when Sweets began to follow. Hodgins knew he could disable the server if need be.

"Sweets maybe it's best to wait here." Booth suggested.

"Booth I'm fine." Sweets said rolling his eyes.

"If Pelant sees you leave he will take you out." Booth said as he and Hodgins darted towards the car. Sweets considered an idea.

"Hey, tech guys, bring up footage of the doors with no one there, loop it so Pelant won't see them leaving." Angie shouted and immediately they did as asked.

"Now that is truly providing some cover." Cam said smiling at Angela's work.

"Yeah I…" Angela paused looking around. "Where's Sweets?"

"Oh God." Cam said and Brennan pointed to the screen.

The three of them looked up and saw Sweets on a nearby street corner with fingers in his ears and his tongue sticking out, antagonizing Pelant.

"What the hell is he doing?" Angela asked as they watched Sweets continue down the street.

Cam sighed. "He's drawing attention to himself to take the heat off Emma."

"Alright, I'm tracking them both, maybe if Pelant sends something their way then I can intervene." Angela said frustrated.

"Mrs. Montenegro, I'm picking up activity that is suggesting that Mr. Pelant is tracking Agent Booth and Dr. Hodgins."

"Fantastic." Angela said sarcastically and began barking orders to intervene on their part as well. Cam and Brennan stood by, feeling helpless.

* * *

Initially Sweets was keeping to the same route as Emma since it was the most public. The walking was becoming exhausted and his breathing was becoming laborious from his broken ribs. He found himself slowing down and wondered if he were up to this task.

Sweets head shot up as he heard two car horns honk and the boom of an impact of two cars colliding one of which came to a hault at the corner Sweets had just walked away from. The threat of Pelant was obvious. His cell rang.

"If you're going to be stupid and be out there you have to keep moving. I've got your back but move!" Angela said before cutting off the call abruptly, she sounded busy.

Sweets sucked in a painful cold breath of air and kept walking, the thought that Angela had just some how saved him by a few seconds not lost on him.

_I promised Emma nothing would happen. _He reminded himself thinking of Angela calling his actions stupid.

* * *

"We almost there?" Hodgins asked as the fourth light they approached turned green in both directions, Booth avoiding a near collision, again.

"I think so." Booth said, his jaw tight.

"You think so?" Hodgins asked hanging on to the "oh shit" car handle.

"I'm kind of busy watching the road Hodgins." Booth said and swerved to miss a driver watching only his GPS.

"Yeah, that's good." Hodgins said trying to hide his nevousness.

* * *

"Angela." A breathless Sweets called into the phone. He felt like he was going to throw up but tried to sound normal.

"Sweets! You sound awful, you should…" Angela began in a concerned voice. "No no, the next light!" She shouted to the tech, pointing to the screen. "Sweets, move, now, ten feet."

Sweets sighed as he felt like he was going to die if he moved anymore. He did as he was told and soon enough an out of control self-motorized street sweep took the corner sharply, crashing into the closed corner upscale bakery.

"Sweets, can you find a cab?" Angela asked.

"Can I trust one?" He asked.

"No I suspect not."

Cam now took over shouting directions to the techs. She felt like it was a video game she was getting good at.

"Can you still see Emma?" Sweets asked feeling like his lung was going to pop.

"Yes, she's moving faster than you." Angela said but watched Sweets on the screen thru a series of traffic and surveillance cameras. She saw how much he was struggling but was pretending not to since he knew she was watching. "Oh no, what is she doing?" Angela said watching Emma.

"What, what is it?" Sweets asked.

"She's going into an apartment, why isn't she staying out in the open?" Angela asked confused.

"What's the address?" Sweets asked.

* * *

"There, over there! The next building!" Hodgins said as Mark the tech directed them over a secure line.

Booth and Hodgins leapt from the SUV heading as fast as their feet would allow towards and old enormous brick warehouse building in a not so fabulous neighborhood.

They entered the building which was dark and generally empty.

"Where do we go?" Booth asked. "This place is huge."

"I don't know, where would a deranged psychopath hide a sizeable server?" Hodgins asked.

"Maybe Sweets has an idea." Booth said calling Sweets. After a few moments he got voicemail and hung up. "Dammit, he didn't answer."

Booth's phone rang and he thought Sweets was calling him back but it was Breannan.

"Bones, what is it?"

"Angela is tracking activity on that building. Pelant knows you are in the building, you need to find the device NOW."

"What, why…" Booth began to ask but knowing Pelant he probably had the place booby trapped.

"Angela is intervening but I don't know how long." Brennan shouted in the phone. Booth could hear Angela shouting in the back ground at the Pelant computer.

"That's fine Bones but this place is twenty stories tall and is huge." Booth said as he and Hodgins continued to walk around searching.

"Do we have anything?" Breannan asked desperately now that the techie team had discovered the series of booby trap bombs Pelant had laid thru the building. They were working to block the signals to but if they missed one, Booth and Hodgins were done.

"All I can tell you is the signal from the server moves." Mark said tapping his mouse wildly as though he were playing a computer game, same as Angela.

"Moving?" Cam asked. "How is it moving, Pelant can't move it."

"An elevator!" Brennan shouted.

Hodgins and Booth ran to the elevator and pressed the button. The loud industrial warehouse elevator fired up, the only thing that seemed to have power in the building. The doors dinged open and the large server lay before them, powered into the electical panel of the elevator.

"Alright, where is something to take it out with?" Booth said looking for a pipe.

"No!" Hodgins shouted. "It could have a trip on it. Let me see." Hodgins went closer to the machine and examined it, flipping switches. He pulled out his own tablet and plugged into it. Soon Angela was connected to the device and within minutes she had shut it down.

Hodgins and Booth sighed a huge breath of relief.

"I really wanted to beat the crap out of something." Booth said from outside the elevator doors. "If it was even just a machine."

"Well we can keep this baby, really get into Pelant's head. Oh, my! Maybe Angela can get files off here for that Ghost Killer!"

Hodgins laughed when a whirring sound and spark let off. Booth reached in the elevator and pulled Hodgins out just in time for the cord above to snap and the elevator car to crash into a basement three floors down. A burst of flame shot thru the shaft as they were thrown back.

The flame dissipated as it went thru the vent above. Hodgins looked at Booth.

"Wow, thanks." He said.

"Yeah, but there went any chance of finding the ghost killer." Booth said looking down the shaft.

Booth's phone rang again.

"Are you guys okay?" Angela asked breathless.

"Yeah, we're fine." Booth said with a heavy breath.

He could hear the sighs of relief from Angela, Cam and Brennan.

"Tell Sweets he was right." Booth said with a smile as he and Hodgins headed for the door.

"Yeah, about that…" Angela began.

Booth was filled with a bad feeling.

"After you left, he went after Emma." Angela began. "I lost sight of him, a few minutes ago, I was trying to keep you guys from blowing up!" She said though she was angry she couldn't do two very difficult things at once. "But he was okay, last time I saw him." She did not feel consoled by her own words.

"Where was he heading?" Booth asked, his jaw clenched.

"I gave him Emma's address. Why?"

"I just tried to call him and he didn't answer." Booth said, that bad feeling blooming.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15.

_ASC: I almost hate to end this story, it's too fun! But I suppose Sweets can't stay in peril forever. At least in this story!_

Sweets hadn't been sure if his phone had rung or not. His heart was beating so hard, his breathing so heavy and his head pounding so much that he wasn't sure he could hear anything or hold a thought. He wasn't sure if Angela was calling him to warn him of another errant car, service vehicle or whatever else there was but the way he was feeling he wasn't so sure he didn't welcome it.

He knew that wasn't the right way to think but he couldn't think of a body part that wasn't screaming in pain. Even the cuts on his body hurt and a couple may have opened.

He reached Emma's apartment with a pounding heart that fell more when he was the door was open. He walked in to see Emma on the floor, knocked out cold.

* * *

"It's nice to be able to drive so fast and reckless without having the threat of cars coming at you." Hodgins said sarcastically as he hung tightly to the "oh crap" handle.

Booth didn't comment as his jaw clenched a little tighter on the way to the address Angela had provided. Booth thought they had reached Pelant in time, but now he wondered if they had won against Pelant, but lost Sweets in the wake.

"Nothing yet Ange." Hodgins said in answer to the phone Booth didn't even hear ring. "We're almost there."

* * *

"Emma?" Sweets said worried and painfully kneeled to Emma's side. He noticed a red area on her neck as though someone had hit her and knocked her out. He was concerned when he noticed that yet to from bruise was overlapping and older purple one.

"I knew it." A voice said from behind Sweets. As Sweets turned he saw the vague figure of a man before catching a blow across his mouth. Sweets was caught off guard by the attack though he knew he shouldn't have been based on how he found Emma.

His head was still reeling when he turned to look up again but was first met with a swift kick in the side. The pain was too intense to even cry out as Sweets fragile ribs buckled under the strike. The man grabbed Sweets by the lapels on his jacket and threw him against the wall near the door. Sweets struggled to focus on the man he didn't recognize.

"I knew there was another man. I knew it." He spat at Sweets who saw the world more as fuzzy shapes despite his intense desire to focus.

The man's back was turned so he didn't see Emma as she lunged forward onto his back, wrapping her hands onto his face and poking her fingers into his eyes.

The reaction was reflective as the man let go of Sweets to grab his eyes. The weight of Emma caused he and her to fall back and Sweets to fall to the floor. The man quickly flipped over before Emma could scramble away as she was trying to do. He pulled her leg back but she kicked him repeatedly, one heel scrapping his face which pissed him off even more.

Sweets turned for his gun but he remembered he hadn't put it on since his hands and focus had not been the best in the last day. His body seethed in pain but he wanted to help Emma who had just tried to help him.

The partially opened door flew open the rest of the way so quickly Sweets caught it before it hit him. He saw with ambiguous vision a figure in black swoop down and pull said man off Emma and throw him into a wall. The man stepped forward only to meet Booth's fist, twice until he fell to the ground.

"Ah, now I feel better." Booth said as his shoulders relaxed. Hodgins was kneeling by Emma who was sitting up shaking her head affirmatively. Booth looked around and spied Sweets behind him in the dark by the door.

"Sweets!" Booth said with relief. "Thank God you're alive." He said in a barely audible tone.

As Booth got closer Sweets could see him better but only to see him expression change from relief to grief.

"Geez Sweets, we just got you out of the hospital." Booth said looking at his bleeding lip. Sweets tried not to show he was favoring his side but Booth knew.

"Thanks for getting here in time." Sweets struggled under difficult breathing to say. "I wasn't helping much." He tried to smile but his side felt like it was on fire and his breathing was increasingly becoming more labored. Booth pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance with reference to a federal officer down. Sweets tried to mutter that he was fine but Booth saw otherwise.

Emma stepped closer to Sweets as Booth rose to continue his call with address details while Hodgins called Angela to tell them they were alive..

"I'm so sorry." Emma said not wanting to look him in the eye. "I didn't mean to…"

Sweets shook his head suggesting it wasn't necessary and tried to smile. He started to talk but Hodgins approached having hung up with Angela.

"Who was _that_ guy?" Hodgins asked about the now handcuffed unconscious guy on the floor.

"That would be my soon to be ex-husband." Emma said looking at the brute and not the other two. "You know I'd never hit him back until today." A smile crept across her lips at the thought of how empowering it was.

"Well he's not going to be bothering anyone anytime soon." Booth said now done with his call. "He's going to go away from quite a while."

"That sounds really good." Emma said nodding. "I didn't know he had found my new place. I had hoped working for the FBI would have sounded like something he would finally stay away from."

"W-would you like to talk about it?" Sweets asked slipping into shrink mode.

"No, I wouldn't." Emma said but with a smile.

"Good! You'll fit right in with us." Hodgins said getting up to keep an eye for the ambulance.

"I am sorry Dr. Sweets, I…" Emma said and Sweets took her hand.

"You smell nice." He said as he began to pass out.


	16. Chapter 16

Epilogue.

Sweets woke up to a pair of bright eyes looking at him. He smiled as Christine stared down at him from the top of the couch with a roll of tape. Sweets eyed the girl with curiosity.

"I got some tape!" She said proudly.

"Okay." Sweets said. "Why?"

"Because daddy says you're broken!" The little girl said and preceded to tear off short strips and stick them to Sweets head.

"Christine?" Booth called out in a whisper as he searched for the toddler.

"Here daddy, I'm fixing Uncle Sweets!" She said happily.

"Broken huh?" Sweets asked with his eyes closed so Christine could continue applying tape.

"At least I censored myself before I said more." Booth teased. "Not come on Christine, I don't think Sweets wants tape on his face." He said taking the toddler off the back of the couch.

"I don't mind. It's very thoughtful Christine." Sweets said as the girl ran around the couch to see him.

"Will you get better?" She asked and Booth cringed at the child's questions. She just didn't know any different. Booth did however admire Sweets unending willingness to play along with the child.

"I think so." Sweets said with a big smile and tried to push himself up. Booth wanted to help but Sweets seemed determined to do it himself.

"Where did the pretty lady go?" Christine asked as Sweets looked around.

"I don't know." He said realizing she was gone. Booth realized just then that she was gone as well.

"I like the pretty lady. She's funny." Christine continued.

"I like the pretty lady too." Sweets concurred.

"Well what I would like is some breakfast, how about it Sweets?" Booth hoped Sweets appetite was still going strong.

"I wanna make pancakes!" Christine shouted.

"Well if you're gonna make pancakes I'd better have some!" Sweets said enthusiastically which made Christine happy.

"Mommy! Uncle Sweets is staying for pancakes!" Christine said running to Brennan's arms who had walked in the room.

"Well that's good Christine, how about you help daddy get breakfast started." Brennan said handing Christine over to him with a look that suggested she needed a moment with Sweets while Christine wasn't there.

"How about chocolate chips in the pancakes?" Booth asked the little girl as they left.

"How are you feeling?" Brennan said sitting across from Sweets.

Sweets smiled but grimaced some. "Better." He said and Brennan realized he was indeed much better than before but far from great. She saw Sweets was looking at his dirty scrubs that had been proliferated from the hospital and drug around the dirty warehouse.

"I'm guessing you would like a shower." She said and Sweets smiled but the task seemed like a lot of work. Sweets was about to regretfully decline when Brennan stood up and started lifting his arm.

"Um, yeah, I don't know about this." Sweets said thinking of what Booth would say.

"I'll help you get there but then you're on your own." Brennan smiled as she had made a sort of joke. Sweets had to smile that she tried. "When you're done we can rewrap the dressings, they may be ready to come off so there is not any moisture trapped."

Brennan was true to her word and helped Sweets get to the bathroom and help him take the bandages off his hands and feet. The steps on his feet were painful but he was more absorbed in the realization that this was what a true friend did. Most of his life Sweets never had that kind of friendship with people. His adopted parents cared but never friends since he was generally near a decade younger than his classmates having graduated so early.

"Take your time." Brennan said as she was leaving but saw Sweets struggle with the top. "Let me help with the shirt." She said coming back in. Sweets was going to decline but she was already pulling on it.

Brennan saw the old scars, the new burn scars and the bruises in between. She knew they were all there, but seeing them in all their glory was heart breaking. Sweets could see her adding them all up in her mind and pulled the shirt close to him as though to try and cover some of them up.

"I'm sorry Sweets." Brennan said with a small lump in her throat. "I'm, I'm sorry we weren't faster."

Sweets shook his head and smiled as much as he could. "Thank you for finding me, and for helping me. It's more than I could have asked for."

Brennan nodded and left. She stood outside the door as quiet as she could to listen for any sound that Sweets needed help. She could hear him move slowly and soon water was running.

It occurred to her then that Sweets would not want to wear the dirty scrubs again so she went for some of Booth's clothes. He would surely fuss openly about it but privately he would insist on it. She peeked in the door and sat them on the sink for Sweets.

It took a while but he emerged on the stairs and Booth and Brennan could hear the shuffling while making breakfast. Booth rushed up the steps.

"Hey Sweets, what are you doing?" He asked looking at the wobbly thin figure at the top of the steps.

"I can do it." He said though the feeling of vertigo on painful feet was coming on.

"Well I'm just going to walk with you then." Booth said knowing the stubborn Sweets was an irritating Sweets.

Sweets stepped slowly down each flight and with each step Booth grimaced. He watched Sweets deeply cut but healing scars on his feet, the pits where debris and rocks had been removed. He had his hands and arms ready to catch the young man at every descent step.

"There." Sweets said proudly having gotten to the bottom one as though it were no problem. At that moment his legs he had ignored from their severe wobble gave out and Booth caught him before he could fall to the floor.

"I got ya buddy." Booth said quietly as they took the last step together. Sweets tried not to look defeated that he couldn't complete the task and Booth noticed.

"Let's not try and do everything in one day okay?" Booth suggested as he helped Sweets to the kitchen island with his arm slung around his shoulders.

Brennan noticed Christine was about to say something but she distracted the child with wiped a dab of whip cream on her nose.

"Hey mommy!" She said as she giggled. Brennan noticed Sweets still looked a little glum while he started down at his plate. She dipped her finger again and wiped it on Sweets nose. He looked up quickly in surprise and Christine laughed.

"Mommy got you too!" Christine said laughing again. Sweets couldn't ignore the child's playfulness and laughed. Brennan wiped another on Booth's nose who pretended not to know it was coming and the child laughed and this time Sweets smiled too.

"Whip cream and pancakes?" Sweets said surprised.

"With chocolate chips!" Christine said excited.

"Well this is a very special breakfast." Sweets said to Christine and then looked at the couple. "Thank you."

There was a knock at the door and Booth went to get it.

"Hi." Emma said upon seeing Booth. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I wanted to see how Lance was."

"Come in." He said with a warm welcome. "We wondered where you went." He said as she walked inside and he led her to the kitchen.

"I just wanted to change and freshen up."

"Good morning." Brennan said and Emma noticed they all had whip cream on their noses.

"Good morning." She said back, confused at the whip cream noses. "I didn't mean to interrupt anything, I can come back."

"Join us." Booth said pulling up another chair and before she could decline she was sitting down.

"Uh oh, something's missing." Sweets said in a serious voice. Before they could turn to look at him he dabbed some whip cream on Emma' nose.

"Now the pretty lady looks like us!" Christine shouted.

"Yeah she fits right in doesn't she Christine?" Booth said but winked at Sweets who rolled his eyes.

Booth and Brenann shared a smile that read, "baby ducking has a girl duckling friend."

Booth and Emma picked up the dishes while Brennan made an excuse to excuse herself and Sweets from the table. In private in the living room she looked at Sweets hands, feet and ribs and redressed some of the injuries.

"It's best that you stay off your feet." Brennan said seriously. "They're not completely healed yet and walking on them will only take longer."

"Sure but I can stay off them when I get home." Sweets said about to get up.

"Home, why go home when there's a marathon of kung fu coming on?" Booth said plopping down to put his feet up on the opposing couch. Booth did it as a gesture that suggested he wasn't going anywhere and it was an invite for Sweets to stay.

"Thank you for breakfast." Emma said in a tone that also suggested goodbye and that she was leaving.

"You want to miss kung fu?" Booth said, and understated invitation extended to her as well.

Brennan and she stood nearby that gave a look that suggested that was a stupid way to spend time.

"I'm not so sure about kung fu." She said.

"Well perhaps you might like to accompany me to the grocery store? It seems we will be having dinner guests." Brennan said. "You are welcome to join as well, it seems that Cam, Angela and Dr. Hodgins wish to check up on Sweets under the guise of a dinner meal."

"Sure." Emma said and didn't question the way that Brennan spoke.

Brennan and Emma left while Booth and Sweets became absorbed in kung fu flicks. Christine busied herself with playing on the floor.

Booth hadn't realized how tired even he was and at some point in the afternoon drifted off. It shouldn't have surprised him from the previous long days had brought. He woke to the sound of his phone buzzing but by the time he got to it he had missed a call from Angela. He was about to call back when his attention was turned to Sweets on the couch opposite him. He was asleep but his breathing was very loud and labored, caused by Christine having crawled up and fallen asleep on his chest.

Booth quickly jumped up and picked up Christine and immediately both of them woke up.

"No, no!" The child protested.

"Christine honey, you're crushing Uncle Sweets." Booth said trying to hush her so Sweets would go back to sleep.

"She's okay Booth." Sweets said though he had to cough a few times to catch his breath.

Booth sat back down on the opposite couch and soon Christine fell back asleep.

"No, it's not okay Sweets, you're still recovering. You need to get better, not you know, die just to make Christine comfortable." Booth said as Sweets relaxed again. "But that's kind that you don't mind." He added. "You'd make a great dad." Booth said thinking back to his conversation a few days before about Sweets breakup with Daisy over not wanting to have kids.

"I don't know Booth." Sweets said with a heavy sigh. "I just can't risk being like…" Sweets didn't want to say his name.

"Hey Sweets, you're _nothing _like Ryan." Booth said it softly to not wake Christine but emphatically. "How could you think that?"

"Look at Victor, he was raised by the same guy." Sweets said in defense. Sweets knew it wasn't likely but yet he couldn't shake the even slightest risk.

"And you're not _that guy _either. Look Sweets, things may not have started out ideal in life, but look at how much your parents cared, that's what you learned from right?" Booth sighed. "I just have to worry about Christine now, don't want her to be a crazy wicca person."

Sweets remembered back to his conversation days before about the young witches and raising kids.

"You're far from having a daughter like Belladonna." Sweets assured him. "Maybe there's hope for both of us." Sweets concluded.

Booth noticed Sweets was still smiling thinking about a life filled with someone, maybe Emma and little Sweets. Booth laughed a little laugh thinking of little boys running around in suits saying "interesting." He hoped they might take after Emma a little more in that department.

Booth saw Brennan and Emma return and quickly went to help her carry in items. He put his fingers to his lips to inform them Sweets was asleep.

Emma found herself soon employed in putting groceries away and then chopping a salad. She didn't mind, she didn't have anything else to do on a Saturday.

"I don't understand why everyone has to come here though Bones." Booth complained while snacking on an apple.

"I imagine it has to do with us having a large dwelling and I think everyone looks to you as the sort of patriarch." She suggested.

"Oh I'm the old man." Booth said but stepped away quickly when he heard an "clunk" and "ow" and Christine giggle. "Christine stop hitting Sweets with the magic wand, it's not really helping honey."

They all heard another "ow" come from Sweets as the child continued to giggle.

"I really don't want to intrude, I should probably get going." Emma said wiping off her hands.

"Did I say something offensive again, I have been informed I often do when I do not intend to." Brennan asked confused.

"No, I just, from what Agent Booth was saying…"

"Oh," Brennan laughed, "Booth grumbles all the time but he would be very disappointed if everyone did not come over. He cares deeply for everyone but he will not admit it."

Emma nodded in understanding and went back to her salad.

"I see that you care for Sweets." Brennan said and Emma almost cut her finger in surprise.

"Uh, yeah, he's very charming, smart and funny." Emma said feeling her cheeks get unbearably warm. "But I'm not sure what's going to happen."

Booth was coming back into the kitchen but he paused just short so he could hear the conversation out of view.

"Why is that?" Brennan asked, concerned and she wasn't sure why but she suspected that Sweets would not recover as well if Emma were to leave. "Do you not wish to stay with Sweets?"

"No, I do, that's why I'm looking for another job. I can't see him since he would be my boss. I'm looking for another job but it was hard enough to find this one. I'm afraid it will take me outside the D.C. area for much success. But please don't tell him." Emma urged. "He's got enough on his mind."

Booth held the magic plastic wand in his hand and considered weaving some of his own magic. He left to make a phone call.

The doorbell rang and the visitors arrived. Sweets slowly got up from the couch to greet them but it was laborious and everyone noticed.

"Let's sit here for a bit." Hodgins suggested to Angela and Cam who came in with him after they dropped off wine and desserts with Booth. They quickly picked up on Hodgins attempt to make Sweets feel more at ease to sit comfortably.

Brennan and Emma brought wine glasses and soon everyone partook in the friendly conversation. In a short time Booth announced that the meat was coming off the grill and they all headed to the table. Emma waited for them to all go first and turned to Sweets.

"May I escort you to the table?" She asked with a bright smile.

"No." He said smiling but sulking.

"Ah, waiting for a better offer?" She teased.

"No, I appreciate it. I'm just tired of not being able to get around. I just want to be better."

"You're rather an impatient person aren't you?" She observed.

Sweets laughed. "Yeah, a little bit."

"Well, good things come to those who wait you know." Emma said to which Sweets turned and looked at her. His smiled faded as he saw the scar on her cheek. His hand went to touch it but Emma put his hand in hers intercepting it.

"It's…" Emma began to say it was okay but instead Sweets leaned in and kissed her, she kissed back.

She beamed with a smile. "Very impatient man."

"I warned you."

"Fair enough." She said with a brilliant smile back.

"Hey you two, dinner…" Booth began but quickly read the situation.

"We're coming." Sweets said slowly standing up. "Can't miss dinner."

He slowly walked around the couch and Emma took one hand in hers while Booth walked on the other side, ready to catch if needed.

"Hey Emma, good news." Booth said. "You don't have to work for Sweets anymore."

They both paused and looked at him wondering how that was good news.

"Turns out that I'm needing an assistant. And if you want the job, you can transfer to my department. Which would be great because you know, we can all work together…" Booth said with a smile. The bright smiles returned to their faces.

"I would be interested in that." Emma said as they approached the table to the lively conversation that had already begun.

* * *

Meanwhile in Caroline Julian was proud of herself for getting Victor Masters to be charged as an adult. He was in holding for a few days and then transferred. He was out in the yard a short time when he was met by another man, Hank Gardner.

"What are you in for?" Victor asked.

"Started off with slapping my wife around, then assaulting two federal agents." He answered. "Couple of pricks with the bureau put me in here. And one was a dorky shrink"

"Yeah, I know how that goes. Wait, you said their names were?" Victor asked.

Hank shared them and Victor nodded.

"You know this just might be the start of a beautiful friendship."

* * *

**ASC: Maybe it's time for a regular mystery where Sweets has it easier next time? Maybe a little funny Sweets? Should I write a next time? I will if anyone would enjoy reading it! :) This is fun! :)**


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17. Epilogue.

_ASC: Ha ha, not done. Forgot something! I'm so dumb._

"Hey Sweetie Sweets, you ready to go?" Angela asked bouncing in the room with Brennan.

They paused instantly at the sight of Sweets sitting in a chair, his long legs with feet resting in the window ledge. He had donned the casual cotton pants, tee shirt and black Converse that Hodgins had dropped off earlier. He went by Sweets place for some stuff to take to their place for the weekend, avoiding any reason for Sweets to go by there.

Now however Angela and Brennan saw the too thin Sweets, damp hair for a recent shower, looking contemplatively out the window, focusing on nothing.

"Sweets?" Brennan asked approaching slowly. "Is something wrong?"

Brennan moved the half-finished puzzle book on the bed and sat down. Angela stood by the window, breaking Sweet's gaze.

"Oh hi." He said trying to sit up without showing the soreness. "I didn't uh, hear you."

Breanna and Angela exchanged worried glances.

"Time to go?" Sweets asked trying to mask his feelings with a smile, one not so genuine. "I'd be more than happy to get out of here."

"Sweets, we're not leaving until you tell us what's wrong. We were here like six hours ago and you were downright giddy." Angela said and Sweets knew he was going to have to share. He would have expected the same from them.

"I uh, it was a long week, or plus three days I guess." Sweets said rubbing his head trying to put it all together. "First Derringer, then the hospital, then Pelant, then…"

"The hospital again?" Brennan asked.

"No Daisy."

Angela and Brennan closed their eyes from sorrow. They had been so focused on Sweets recovery and Caroline Julian trying to prosecute a dead Pelant in order to cover the costs they had spent trying to track him down that they had forgotten to tell Sweets.

"They buried Daisy. While you were asleep. I'm sorry Sweets."

Sweets looked up, sorry he had missed the chance to say goodbye. He would have felt awkward there at her funeral but still he knew he would have welcomed the closure.

"Do you want to talk about it Sweetie?" Angela asked and Sweets smirked.

"That's my line."

"We can still talk about it if you like. Daisy was a big part of your life Sweets." Brennan said. "I mean you met, you were engaged, she left you, you broke it off, got back together, couldn't handle it, broke it off again.."

"We get the picture Sweetie." Angela said cutting her off. Brennan nodded acknowledging she could have had a better recap. "I think what Brennan is _trying _to say Sweets is I know it's though, but you and Daisy weren't meant to be. But it still wasn't a fair way for her to go."

"No it wasn't." Sweets agreed with a sigh.

"Yes, Miss Wick was as exceptionally smart as she was annoying." Brennan said as Angela dropped her mouth and widened her eyes at her. "But she was a very good person." Brennan added.

"Thank you both." Sweets said hoping to say something that would keep Brennan from attempting to help anymore. "I know we had separated and weren't getting back together. It's just sad. It also makes me think about the other victim, my mom."

"Did you know her, remember her?" Angela asked out of curiosity.

"No." Sweets said with a deep exhale. "I looked for her once but I couldn't find her. Interesting that Pelant could."

"Seems like he's always figuring out things we can't." Brennan said with anger buried in her tone.

"We can go by and see Daisy, well, the grave if you like, this weekend." Angela offered.

"Thank you, if it's not too much trouble, yes, I would like that." Sweets said nodding.

"Maybe, after we get you back to work, we can see what Pelant might have found out about your mom." Angela offered as well and Sweets smiled again.

"I would like that as well, I've always been curious." Sweets said getting up slowly. Angela felt the need to stand close behind him in case he needed help though he was getting around well, or was acting like he was. She had a hard time telling the difference which it was.

Sweets made his way to the door, determined to leave on his own two feet, while Angela gathered up the puzzle books. She quietly laughed at the "Super Genius" title that splashed across the cover. She flipped open to a page and stared for a moment at the clues to the crossword. _It's all Greek to me._ She thought to herself and noticed most of the puzzles were complete. _I guess he is a super genius._ She said putting the book in her bag.

Brennan's phone rang and they paused so she could answer it.

"Yeah Cam, what's…." Brennan said listening intently and nodded with great interest. "Yes, we have Sweets, but, yes we'll be there soon."

Sweets and Angela looked to Brennan with great anticipation.

"Your computer Angela, Hodgins was using it…"

"If he was using that thing for another bug video…" She began angry but stopped.

"Before the server went down the elevator, taking Hodgins tablet with it, he had connected it to your server." She said with a look of excitement the other two didn't understand. "There's only some partials but before it went down the shaft and blew up it uploaded some files - about the ghost killer."

They were both anxious to get back to the lab to see what it had pulled up but turned to look at Sweets.

"What? Let's go, let's get to the lab. Sounds like we have work to do." Sweets said catching up to them.

* * *

_ASC: Maybe more to come about Emma, Sweets mom and subsequent past, maybe the ghost killer. May have to make _The Sequel's Sequel to the Story. We shall see.


End file.
